Unusual DNA and Medicinal Chemistry Memories of Cambridge in the 1950S Bioinorganic Studies and Teaching Duties a Chat With

Home , Jeremy Sanders, Shankar Balasubramanian

Spring 2012

Unusual DNA and medicinal chemistry Bioinorganic studies and teaching duties Memories of Cambridge in the 1950s A chat with the department’s deputy heads As I see it...

When Daan Frenkel became head of department in October, it was with the help of two deputy heads of department – Jane Clarke and David Wales. Sarah Houlton talks to them about their roles, and what they involve

Why does the new department struc - ture have this ‘triumvirate’ headship? David: Quite simply, because there is so much work involved – I don’t know how Bill Jones could possibly have done this on his own! I’ve worked here for more than 20 years and I really had no idea what lay underneath the tip of the iceberg in terms of the amount of organisation and administration the department needs. The only way to do this and keep people sane is with a hierarchical structure, with layers of committees and delegated authority, which is what we now have. I think it’s working quite well – we’ve had a reorganisation in terms of administrative staff, which has saved money while being more efficient. So Daan is the out - ward face of the department, I look after sup - port and resources, and Jane is responsible for staffing issues. t t i P

It does sound like rather a large task a h t

for one person! So, Jane, what are a N your responsibilities? : o t o

Jane: I’m responsible for all sorts of personnel h issues in the department. More than 900 people P are employed within the department, including sidering setting up a mentoring team, with a when fume cupboards return to the pool. I had PhD students, postdocs, assistant staff, aca - group of individuals who are prepared to offer to consult very widely with my experimental demic-related staff and academics, and my role different kinds of support, and people can go to colleagues about all the things that, as a theoreti - includes overseeing all the human resources different members of the team depending on cian, I don’t usually have to think about – stor - issues. This includes employment contracts, what they are looking for. One might think age, equipment and health & safety issues, for training, probationary procedures, career devel - career and work mentoring might best be done example. The quality of the space itself is very opment, dignity at work, equality, bullying – all through their supervisor, who knows that area heterogeneous, and there are plenty of issues those sorts of issues fall under my umbrella. of science best, but if there are personal or per - that might catch us out, but I think they have Any disciplinary issues that come up would also sonnel issues they could very well go to some - now been covered. An initial problem we faced be under my remit. one else for advice and support on how to deal was an absence of fundamental data – we didn’t I’m really well supported by support services with a tricky situation. know who was occupying which desk or fume manager Marita Walsh and welfare training and cupboard, or even office! These data should now development advisor Victoria Blake, who are David, what are your responsibilities? be online with automatic updates, so when stu - responsible for most of the personnel issues on David: I chair the support and resources, dents arrive and depart the data can be fed from a day-to-day basis, with academic secretary finance, and equipment and services commit - the administrative office into the system. Howard Jones dealing with recruitment issues tees within the department. Daan, Jane and I It will also help us think ahead so we can for the academic staff. We’ve also been creating also meet together at least once a week, and make realistic offers to new academic recruits – career development reviews for postdocs and consult with the senior administrators on a reg - we can’t offer them space that does not exist. academics, to make sure they all get what used ular basis, too. We have delegated authority as We have earmarked, for example, part of the to be called an appraisal. We now have a system far as possible down the committee structure, basement for the new Herchel Smith professor, that is appropriate for scientists, trying to give which is actually quite far! What has occupied and of course the new Melville professor’s postdocs and young scientists the opportunity most of my time recently is the new space group will go into the Melville lab. We’re also to reflect on what they can do with their careers, guidelines. Space is one of the biggest chal - starting to fund-raise for a new building on focus on what they need to move on to the next lenges the department faces, and with the Union Road ( for more about this, see the news step, and identify their training needs. change in administrative structure there was no story on page 5 ). There are other issues that have space management plan at all. There was no for - to be taken into account – for example we can’t How well do you feel it’s working? mal system for requesting space, or giving it create more fume cupboards on certain sides of Jane: Sometimes it feels very much like manag - back when it was no longer needed. We will be the building because the plant is maxed out. ing cats! It’s very difficult, as we appoint aca - implementing the new space guidelines via a Of course we don’t want anyone to be lim - demics because they are fantastic scientists, but web-based interface, and it is being trialled on ited by space, but in order for that to happen we very few have any training in management, the third floor. need to use what we’ve got more efficiently and leadership skills or leading groups. Some flexibly, and perhaps instil a new ethos that peo - groups can expand rapidly, and for a young, So how does it work? ple don’t own space, but get to use what they enthusiastic scientist this can prove challenging. David: It’s simply a procedure that allows people need at the time, which needs to be reviewed They may need help to be good at the ‘people’ to request more space if they need it after a grant periodically. If someone gives space up when side of the job, so we need to have proper, rig - has been awarded. The system is warned in their group decreases, they can expect to get it orous mentoring schemes. Every student and advance that a grant application has been made back if the group increases in size again. Of postdoc who comes in is assigned a mentor, but and what extra space might be needed if suc - course, we can understand people being nerv - this isn’t necessarily the most appropriate per - cessful, and it also contains a list of who is ous about this! So we have to make sure that son to help them with everything. We are con - working with whom, who finishes when, and continued on page 13

2 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 Reluctant reactions Letters

Colleague spotted crocodile, I think, of a famous story Dear Chem@Cam book written in Sanskrit entitled In response to Byomkesh Biswas in the Panchatantra of Vishnu Sharma of India. eChem@Cam Summer 2011 issue of Chem@Cam , I am very interested to know the Chem@Cam is now being sent out by email to those third from the left on the middle row is source of the image, and whether it has who have asked for a pdf version rather than a hard Peter Dawson, who both demonstrated any connection to the book. copy in the mail. to undergraduate classes in Lensfield Thanking you If you would like to swap your paper magazine for an Road and sang with me in the Sunday Abhilash M. e-version, then please send an email with the subject line evening University services instituted by email ‘eChem@Cam’ to [email protected], and we’ll start to by Revd Mervyn Stockwood. As with all the images on our back cover, send you the mag electronically from the next issue. He was a great talker and walker with it’s a Gustave Doré engraving. This one Don’t forget to tell us your postal address so we can whom Geoff Bedford and the late Brian dates from 1867, and it’s a monkey and a check that the correct person is being removed from the Fraser – all chemists – and I shared an dolphin, rather than a crocodile. It’s one of mailing list for the paper magazine. unforgettable walking holiday in Doré’s illustrations of the ‘Fables of Jean Scotland in the Long Vacation of 1961. de la Fontaine,’ published in the late If you’re not sure what it will look like, you can check out Peter hailed from the Stockton/ 1600s. The original legend was (in trans - e-back issues on the newly redesigned department Billingham area, but was very proud of lation!) ‘The dolphin thought it was sav - website, www.ch.cam.ac.uk his Scottish roots and, of course, we had ing a sailor, but was dismayed to ﬁnd it Don’t worry if you still want to receive a paper copy – to pay a visit to a ruined castle in Fife, was carrying a chattering fool’. we’ll continue to print and mail the magazine for the seat of Clan Davidson and origin of his foreseeable future, so you won’t miss out! nickname, Tulloch. We sadly lost touch A contemporary after going down. Dear Editor Dr John P Dickinson Thanks again for sending me St John’s, 1957-63 Chem@Cam in e-form. I was especially by email interested in the article concerning Yusuf Hamied – we were exact contem - What’s the pic? poraries at Christ’s, and I remember Dear Editor him well. It was interesting to note the back cover Yours sincerely image of your Chem@Cam newsletter David Bronnert of summer 2011. I couldn’t get the by email meaning of the image correctly. it resembles a picture of a monkey and a Any 1930s chemists? Dear Editor What a lovely winter solstice present it was to find my article in the Autumn 2011 Chem@Cam . Of course I am wondering whether anyone of my vin - tage still exists, and is still able to make a signal of any kind. Many thanks for brightening most pleasingly a very for - tunate but unexciting exit span, and most heartfelt congratulations and thanks for what you do so elegantly for Chemists erstwhile at Cam. Yours most appreciatively Peter H Plesch by emai l

Cover This newsletter is published three times a year by the University of Cambridge Chemistry Department. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor, the department, or the university. Editor-in-Chief: Steve Ley Editor: Sarah Houlton Photographers: Nathan Pitt, Caroline Hancox Editorial Board: Contents Brian Crysell, Bill Jones, News 4 Jonathan Goodman, Rosemary Ley, Jeremy Sanders Crystals are the cover star this Research 8 issue... These beauties appeared after a prolonged spell in the Address: Alumni 11 freezer for a sample of a 2,3- Chem@Cam, Department of Chemistry, butanediacetal-protected University of Cambridge, Lensﬁeld Road Chat lines 13 compound made by Sean Newton, Cambridge CB2 1EW a PhD student in Steve Ley’s group Phone: 01223 763865 Puzzle corner 15 email: [email protected] Photograph: Nathan Pitt website: www.ch.cam.ac.uk

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 3 News A visit from Singapore An uplifting experience

Visitors to the deparment will notice a slight change to the main entrance – there is now a disabled lift to give access to the building via the main reception area. It took about six weeks to install, starting during the Christmas break, and a stairlift was also put in at the t t i other end of the building, as well as a P n

a couple of disabled toilets, one at each h t a end of the building. N

o These works were all commissioned t t o t h and funded by Estate Management to i P P

provide disabled access into the build - n a h ing. Previously, access was down the t a N

At the end of February, we hosted a del - ramp and through stores, and while this : o t

egation of eight academics from the technically met the legal requirements, o h division of chemistry and biological in practice was far from ideal. P chemistry at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Led by head of department, Prof. Soo-Ying Lee, the progtamme included A semantic chemical web an afternoon of presentations from aca - demics from both departments, with In January, the department hosted a immediate outcome being very good topics covering a wide spectrum of three-day workshop and symposium on agreement on the value of semantics, chemistry. The visitors also toured the semantic physical science, with 25 what to do in the first instance, department, and had one-on-one meet - invited visitors. Organised by Peter timescales and resources. Topics covered ings with various members of the aca - Murray-Rust with a lot of help from included computational chemistry, demic staff. Charlotte Bolton, it is being recorded in NMR and crystals, all with the aim of This visit, which was Steve Ley’s ini - a special issue of the Journal of finding ways to make chemistry more tiative, was designed to stimulate inter - Cheminformatics . accessible on the web. actions between the two departments at ‘We are inspired by Tim Berners-Lee’s a practical level. It follows on from the vision of the Semantic Web where reciprocal visit last September by Oren humans and computer work together, Scherman, Erwin Reisner, Alessio Ciulli and we see that already where people and Paul Barker to NTU. can ask their phones direct questions,’ As a result, there will be several new Peter says. ‘We can do the same for initiatives between our two depart - chemistry – our OPSIN [Open Parser for ments, initially involving undergraduate Systematic IUPAC Nomenclature] is research projects and moving towards already better than any human at inter - joint PhD programmes. Watch this space preting chemical names, and this can be x o

for news about upcoming schemes. extended to many other areas. As a start c n we are developing tools where chemical a H

and maths equations can be understood n i l o

and evaluated by machines.’ r a

Ruth’s German prize C

The event covered a lot of ground, : o t

Ruth Lynden-Bell has been awarded the with much that was new for many peo - o h Paul Walden Award for 2011 for her ple, and many different possible ways of P work on ionic liquids by the German tackling semantics, he adds, with the Peter with Gulliver, the open access turtle Research Foundation. The winner of the award is chosen by Once again, the a vote among the leaders of all 30 proj - chemistry open ects in the Foundation’s ionic liquids day was a roaring priority programme. These projects success, with cover the whole span of ionic liquids Peter Wothers’ research, with topics covering syn - demonstration thetic, electrochemical, physic-chemi - lecture proving as cal and theoretical aspects of the field. popular as ever. As well as receiving a cash prize, Look out for a full Ruth will visit Germany this year for a report and photos in the next issue of lecture tour of the country’s ionic liquid Chem@Cam ! community. The annual award was created in 2008 to honour international scientists t t for their research on ionic liquids. The i P

previous winners are Hiro Ohno of the a h t

Tokyo University of Agriculture and a N

Technology, John Wilkes of the United o t o

States Air Force Academy, and Tom h Welton of Imperial College. P

4 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 www.ch.cam.ac.uk

Carol’s Hopkins lecture Raising funds for Union Road

Fundraising is now under way for a new age-related diseases, the new building building on Union Road, between the would offer a unique opportunity for Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre potential donors to make a real differ - and the Unilever building. This building ence to society.‘ would add high-quality office and labo - Any successful department lacks ratory space for research into the chem - space. However, our present occupancy istry of health, such as age-related dis - is so close to 100% that it has an impact eases. This space would ease the pressure on our flexibility. With the addition of on existing labs and offices and thus new, high-quality space, we would facilitate subsequent refurbishment in increase our capability to attract and the rest of the Chemistry building retain the best researchers and industrial x o

c ‘The working idea is that the research partners. n a in the new building will embrace all The department has already actively H

n aspects of molecular medicine,’ says begun the fundraising effort, and a feasi - i l o

r David Wales, who chairs the depart - bility study is now under way. ‘If a donor a C

: ment’s support and resources commit - were to give us a cheque tomorrow, the o t

o tee. ‘This is a very important area of sci - building might be up and running in h P ence, and much of the department’s three years’ time’, David says. ‘It will A very familiar face returned to give the research efforts touches on it. For exam - make a huge difference to the depart - Alex Hopkins lecture this year – Carol ple, with the tremendous importance of ment, and our ability to address some Robinson. Carol, who moved back to research into molecular approaches to vital problems that are facing society.’ Oxford a couple of years ago, gave a talk entitled ‘Finding rhe right balance: Gareth Lloyd has been awarded the CCDC Chemical Crystal- from rare gases to rotary motors’. lography Prize for Younger Scientists. The Herchel Smith The annual lecture, which relates postdoctoral fellow in Bill Jones’ group has been recognised for chemistry to everyday life and contains his work on using crystallographic information to understand, an element of humour, is given in control and utilise supramolecular chemistry to synthesise and memory of Alex Hopkins, a much-loved design molecular materials. As well as a cash prize, he presented teaching fellow at Churchill and his research at the 2012 British Crystallographic Association’s Spring meeting at the University of Warwick in April. Fitzwilliam, and who also played an ‘The quality of the nominees for the prize was exceptionally high,’ important role in the department’s says Hazel Sparkes, chair of the BCA’s Chemical Crystallography inorganic teaching. The lecture is sup - Group. ‘However, the committee felt that during his career to ported in his memory by Alex’s father, date, Gareth has made an outstanding contribution to John Hopkins. crystallography with some high impact publications.’ Lennard-Jones centre opened The Lennard Jones Centre for lecture theatre, Haroon Ahmed, former Computational Materials Science was Master of Corpus Christi and emeritus officially opened in December. It is professor of microelectronics in the named after Sir John Lennard-Jones, Cavendish, gave a brief biographical who was the first professor of theoreti - sketch of Lennard-Jones, and described cal chemistry in Cambridge, and also the early history of computing in the first director of the mathematical Cambridge. laboratory where the basis was laid for Volker Heine was also made the cen - all subsequent ‘machine computing’ in tre’s first honorary member for his sem - Cambridge. Its aim is to develop initia - inal contributions to the field of elec - tives that will foster teaching and tronic structure calculations. He also research on all aspects of computational gave an autobiographical account of the materials science. development of computational materi - At the opening, held in the Unilever als science at the Cavendish.

Clockwise from left: Haroon Ahmed, head of department Daan Frenkel, and Volker Heiner t t i P n a h t a N

: s o t o h P

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 5 News

A prescient paper? Cross-channel collaboration An interesting little snippet came our way from Jacek Klinowski, who tells us The Cambridge that apparently a paper of his was the project team: Mark Eddleston, 18th most downloaded paper from the Bill Jones, Judit journal Chemical Physics Letters in Galcera and 2011. This might not sound that excit - Bhavnita Patel ing – but in fact this paper, entitled ‘A new structural model for graphite oxide’, was first published in 1998 and x o

c hadn’t provoked a great deal of interest n a in the past. H e

n ‘It’s an interesting story!’ Jacek says. i l o r ‘This perfectly decent paper was pub - a C

: lished 14 years ago, and was being cited o t o about 10 times a year, until the Nobel h P Prize for physics was awarded to scien - A project in Bill Jones’ group is part of gies with the project funded to the tune tists working on graphene two years an EU-INTERREG grant designed to of €2.6 million through to the end of ago. It is now being cited more than strengthen collaborative activity in the 2013. It is hoped to build expertise 100 times a year, so it turns out to be ‘two seas’ region – involving the UK, across the three countries in areas of very important. Fashion or prescience?’ France and Belgium. research that are directly applicable to The project, entitled ‘Improving drug small and medium-sized companies. efficiency and availability’, or IDEA, is a ‘An increasing number of new drug collaboration between his group and molecules are difficult to turn into Nicole’s poster prize chemists, pharmacists and physicists in effective oral dosage forms because of Lille, Ghent and Norwich. solubility and bioavailability issues,’ Bill The aim is to to discover new formu - says. ‘We have been focused on these lations of active pharmaceuticals that problems in my group for some time, suffer from poor solubility in their nor - and this additional collaboration is mal solid forms. proving extremely effective in catalysing The aim is to develop new cross-dis - new ideas for how we might go about cipline strategies, ideas and technolo - solving these problems.’ An EPSRC fellowship for David

David Spring has been awarded an ‘Last year, my group was also awarded a Nicole receiving the Nicole Lim, a PhD student in Sophie EPSRC Established Career Fellowship. large European Research Council grant, award from Tom Jackson’s group, won a student poster This is the new top level of fellowship at so with this combined support we have Caradoc-Davies of prize at the recent Lorne conference on EPSRC, combining the previous leader - a strong foundation for our research sponsors Australian protein structure and function. ship and senior fellowship levels. It cov - going forward. It also keeps Howard Synchrotron The annual conference, held in the ers his salary for the next five years, Jones happy with the overheads!’ small seaside town of Lorne, just outside along with support for his research pro - David’s also been invited to give the Melbourne in Australia, highlights lead - gramme, and is renewable for a further Felix Serratosa Lecture in Barcelona next ing-edge protein science, irrespective of three years, giving eight years’ support January, organised by the Catalan Society its focus. in total. of Chemistry and the Real Sociedad Her winning poster was entitled ‘Despite the negative press EPSRC is Española de Química. He’s in good ‘Single-molecule fluorescence studies of receiving in the context of funding for company – previous lecturers include the folding of the knotted protein YibK’, organic synthesis, we can certainly point such luminaries as Nobel laureates and her prize was a certificate and a to significant support by EPSRC for our Barry Sharpless, Bob Grubbs and EJ cheque for $100. organic chemistry research,’ David says. Corey.

This year’s Lewis Master Alan lecturer was Daniel Nocera of the Alan Fersht is to be the next Master of Massachusetts Gonville and Caius College. He will take Institute of up the position in October. Technology in the The recently retired Herchel Smith ‘other’ Cambridge. Professor of Chemistry remains His science is extremely active in scientific research at focused on energy the MRC Laboratory of Molecular conversion in Biology at Addenbrookes, with long- biology and term funding including an MRC

t chemistry, and the t i Programme Grant. P

two lectures he n

a gave were entitled He has been on the academic staff in h t

a ‘Global energy Cambridge since moving from Imperial N

o challenge’ and College in 1988, and his links with t o

h ‘The artificial leaf.’ Caius and the department go back to his P student days.

6 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 www.ch.cam.ac.uk

A Future Fellow Is the future car electric? Nandhini Ponnuswamy, who’s a final- Clare Grey recently took part in a Kavli year PhD student in Jeremy Sanders’ Foundation online roundtable discussion group, has been awarded a Faculty for on the future of electric cars, with two the Future fellowship by the other experts in field. The aim was to Schlumberger Foundation. highlight the main issues preventing the These renewable year-long fellow - wider uptake of electric cars, and what is ships are given to high-flying women being done about them. from the developing world, with the The discussion included Clare, who aim of inspiring other female scientists was awarded the Royal Society’s 2011 to become influential role models in Kavli Medal, Jeff Sakamoto from countries where women remain under - Michgan State University’s department represented in science. Competition for of chemical engineering and material them is intense. science, and the popular science Nandhini hails from India, and will author Seth Fletcher. be heading off to Harvard for a postdoc It took place shortly after the North using the funding once she’s finished American International Auto Show, plug-ins, reducing cost or making them her PhD. where many of the highlights were elec - longer-lasting, safety in the light of tric cars, both production and concept. reports of batteries catching fire, and However, batteries for electric cars are how new batteries are being developed. still in their infancy, and if electric cars It also looked at potential new battery are going to gain much greater market technologies, and what changes in the penetration, then lighter, more powerful political and commercial landscapes batteries will be essential. might encourage wider uptake of elec - Topics covered included the improve - tric cars. ments needed in batteries, whether You can read a transcript of the dis - that’s by increasing the range between cussion at http://tinyurl.com/cmsktbx

A recent issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society featured work Deborah wins from Jonathan Nitschke’s group on the cover. The paper it illustrates describes a teaching prize series of face-capped capsules with different cavity sizes. ‘From a series of four different cages, only one encapsulates small organic guests successfully, as it combines sufficiently small pores with a large cavity volume,’ explains PhD student Rana Bilbeisi. ‘The rest of the cages are left as “spectators” as they are unable to participate in guest binding, as they are either too closed or too open.’ Walters-Kundert Trust joins the Guild of Benefactors On a gloriously warm and sunny day in Keeler, Peter Wothers, Jonathan and March the Walters-Kundert Charitable Oren, and then had lunch at Selwyn Trust was inducted into the Cambridge where Jeremy Sanders was able to thank Deborah Longbottom has won one of Guild of Benefactors in recognition of them while wearing three hats simulta - this year’s Pilkington Teaching Prizes, the huge contributions that the late and neously: as Pro-Vice-Chancellor on which recognise outstanding contribu - much missed Eric Walters had made behalf of the University, as a chemist tions to teaching within the university. through the Trust to the chemistry and as a Fellow of Selwyn. Teaching fellow Deborah splits her department and to Selwyn College. The early evening saw an enrobed time between the department and Eric was the first donor to support the Katharina participating in a splendid Homerton College, where she is direc - department’s Next Generation Fellow- medieval-type ceremony in the Senate tor of studies for chemistry. ship scheme: the unrestricted research House, receiving a scroll on behalf of ‘As one of the department’s team of support that he provided for Carol the Walter-Kundert Trust from the teaching fellows, I’m delighted to have Robinson, Jonathan Nitschke and Oren Chancellor, Lord (David) Sainsbury of won this award,’ she says. ‘The awards Scherman got their Cambridge research Turville. The Chancellor had himself show that the university recognises careers off to a flying start that has paid been installed earlier the same day in the excellence in teaching every year, great dividends for them and for the Senate House. regardless of department, and chem - department. In addition, he generously At the dinner in King’s College after - istry is no exception.’ supported chemistry’s annual Science wards, it was clear the whole family had Festival activities. thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the Don’t forget to let us know if you change Eric’s wife Katharina, daughter Katya, day as a fitting tribute to Eric and his your address – or if you want to receive and son Eric spent the morning in passions for chemistry and education. eChem@Cam instead of paper copies! chemistry meeting Daan Frenkel, James Jeremy Sanders

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 7 Science Exploring unusual DNA

‘You can take cellular genomic DNA, chemically cross-link all the associated proteins to the DNA, and then isolate the DNA from the cells and fragment it. If you have antibodies to a specific marker, you can enrich those fragments of DNA that are associated with it. And then you can sequence them in a mas - sively parallel fashion, and identify where all of these markers bind in the genome.’ Using a DNA damage marker, they were able to show where in the cellular genomic DNA this drug molecule was causing functional damage. ‘Raphaël mapped out all the sites in the genome where damage was occurring, and it turned out they were all in regions of the DNA sequence that we had predicted would fold into G-quadruplex struc - tures,’ he says. ‘This was a very impor - x o

c tant observation as it is really the first n a example showing a quadruplex-targeted H e

n ligand is acting at sites where you would i l o r expect these structures to form.’ a C

: They then looked more closely at the o t o genes in these regions, and there were h P only about 50 or so hotspots, many of which were known cancer-causing genes. It turned out that the drug New links with the medical school have given a real downregulated the activity of many of boost to Shankar Balasubramanian’s research into these genes, and one gene, called Src, some of the unusual structures that can form in DNA really stood out. This is a well-known oncogene – the first to be discovered – and it is also an important driver of Since he was appointed as Herchel DNA structures called G-quadruplexes. many cancers, notably a number of Smith Professor of medicinal chemistry, ‘There has been a lot of excitement and aggressive metastatic cancers. a joint appointment with the medical optimism in the field recently,’ he says. ‘The hotspot is right in the middle of school, Shankar Balasubramanian has ‘However, there are two central ques - this gene, and the drug downregulates found it has had a real impact on his tions that no-one has really been able to it so much it almost silences it,’ he says. science. Now, not only does he have a answer. First, how do you show that ‘Cellular assays were then run to meas - lab here in chemistry, filled mainly with these structures exist in cellular ure the metastatic migration properties organic chemists plus a couple who genomic DNA? And then, there are of cancer cells, and it turned out this specialise more in physical chemistry many papers in the literature about molecule could inhibit the metastatic and biophysics, but he is now a senior small molecules that target these struc - properties of some breast cancer cell group leader at the Cancer Research UK tures, and some have biological activ - lines that were being driven by this Cambridge Research Institute over at ity. But ascribing that activity explicitly gene. This was important because Addenbrookes. This centre is about five to interactions between the drugs and this whole approach of using years old, and Shankar has a small lab these structures within cellular chemistry on the genome led there with six biologists. genomic DNA is very difficult.’ us to strengthen the G-quadru - ‘It’s still one group, but people are A collaboration with Steve plex hypothesis, and identify free to visit the “other” lab, whether to Jackson’s group at the Gurdon an unexpected but important carry out experiments, or simply to Institute here at the university, gene target. As far as we are aware, this chat,’ he says. ‘It’s allowing us to tackle and driven by postdoc Raphaël is the first example of mapping where problems in a way we couldn’t before. Rodriguez, has recently pro - DNA-interactive drugs actually bind We have several really valuable collabo - duced fascinating results. Some and act on cellular genomic DNA. Many rative relationships with other groups, time ago, Raphaël found a mol - approved cancer drugs – and some for and we’re now able to meet them more ecule he’d designed had an antiprolifer - other diseases such as malaria – act by than half way as we can do a lot of the ative effect in cancer cells, stalling the targeting DNA, but we don’t really more sophisticated biological experi - cell cycle, and effects typical of DNA The structure of a understand where. I think these ments ourselves. We now have expertise damage were evident in the cells. ‘Along G-quadruplex approaches will be quite powerful in within the group in synthetic chem - with Steve, who is an expert in this area, characterising DNA-targeting drugs in a istry, biophysics, biology, informatics we took markers for DNA damage, and way they have not been before.’ and computational biology.’ applied the Solexa sequencing technol - Another current project is looking at For more than a decade now, Shankar ogy we invented together with Dave unusual structures that form in DNA, has been interested in the four-stranded Klenerman some years ago,’ he says. which is usually made up of four bases

8 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 Research

– cytosine, guanine, adenine and to be sequenced – while their existence Born: Madras (now called Chennai), India. He moved thymine. However, these bases can was known, there was no way of accu - n

a to the UK as a baby, and grew up near Runcorn undergo chemical modification, and rately sequencing 5-hydroxymethyl- i the best known is the methylation of cytosine in DNA. n Status: Married to Veena, who’s a GP. They have two a cytosine. ‘5-Methyl cytosine is an epige - ‘There’s an old chemical reaction children – son Sachin, who’s 9, and eight-year-old m netic mark – meaning it’s a change in using bisulfite that converts cytosine to a daughter Sashi. r the DNA that does not alter the uracil, and when it is sequenced it reads b Education: A Cambridge degree in Natural Sciences sequence, but it does alter the proper - as thymidine,’ he says. ‘But it does not u was followed by a PhD with Chris Abell, and a postdoc s ties and function of the DNA and gene convert methyl cytosine. This allows a with Stephen Benkovic at Penn State University. l expression,’ Shankar explains. ‘It is also you to difference-map the DNA and a Career: He returned to Cambridge in 1994 as a Royal hereditable as it can be carried forward find the methyl cytosine. Mike has B Society research fellow, and was made a lecturer in from one generation to another. But invented a chemistry that turn hydroxy- r

a 1998. He’s now Herchel Smith professor of medicinal there are a lot of other chemical modi - methyl cytosine into another base, k chemistry, a joint appointment with the medical school. fications to DNA bases that have been while leaving methyl cytosine alone.’ n a Interests: Spending time with his family, and found in other organisms.’ And it works. They’ve collaborated h

He’s interested in understanding the with Wolf Reik’s group at the Babraham S running (to keep up with his wife and children!). chemistry of DNA base modification in a Institute to sequence strands of DNA He is also learning to play the piano. systematic way. It’s an emerging science using the new method and been able to Did you know? Shankar used to DJ in nightclubs in – a further cytosine modification, 5- identify – at a single base resolution – V Cambridge and London, and along with two friends hydroxymethyl cytosine, was discovered what proportion of the cytosine is in its C in the late 1980s set up Hitman Promotions, which in human DNA 2009, and last year two normal, unmodified form, and how promoted R’n’B and hip hop bands. ‘This was the more were found – 5-formyl cytosine much in the methylated and hydrox - start of my entrepreneurial career!’ he says. and 5-carboxy cytosine. ‘In just a few ymethylated states. years we’ve gone from four canonical ‘It’s a real breakthrough – and will bases and one dynamic modification to work on any sequencing platform,’ One idea for how the methyl is four canonical bases and four dynamic Shankar says. ‘Our next goal is to map 5- removed from cytosine in nature is by modifications in human DNA,’ he says. hydroxymethyl cytosine at single base oxidation – first to hydroxymethyl, then ‘This has happened because analytical resolution for the whole three billion formyl, then carboxy, which then drops approaches have become more sensitive bases of the mammalian genome. It’s all off. ‘There must be a reason why nature and precise, and we can now see things been made possible by a chemical reac - has evolved the sophisticated machinery that previously weren’t visible.’ tion! Many colleagues working on stem to do this!’ he says. ‘We know that the But what do these modified cytosine cells and cancer are really interested methylated state of genes affects their bases do? They are prevalent in stem working with us to use this new method activity, and it appears to be key for cells and certain cancers, for example. in a clinical context, and find out many cancers, and also, possibly, for And what other modifications might be whether there is any clinical relevance to normal biological function. It’s early present in human DNA that haven’t patterns of these modified bases.’ days, but we believe it is important. been discovered yet? ‘About 20 DNA Although it’s evident that these mod - Now we can pinpoint where these bases have been discovered in nature, ifications are present in human DNA modifications are, we hope it will help and more than 100 chemical modifica - and they are dynamic, their function work out exactly what it is the modifi - tions of bases have been identified in remains unclear. They are present in cations do.’ RNA,’ Shankar says. brain cells, most of which do not Identifying them has been a real divide, so Shankar believes it has noth - Back row: Pierre Murat, Mehran Nikan, Ramon Kranaster, Chris Lowe, Neil Bell, Keith McLuckie, Anthony Bugaut; problem, but work in his group by PhD ing to do with replication. ‘It appears middle row: Helen Lightfoot, Keren Abecassis, Xavier Dorland, student Michael Booth might just that methyl groups are hopping on and Shankar, Sina Berndl, Michael Booth, Liang Wu, Hamid Nasiri, change that. He set out to discover new off dynamically, and there’s some evi - Enid Lam, Debbie Sanders, Raphaël Rodriguez; front row: David chemistry that would allow 5-hydrox - dence to suggest it is in response to a Tannahill, Beth Thomas, Andrew Lewis, Amy Zhang, Nagaratna ymethyl cytosine and 5-methyl cytosine stimulus, so it is functional,’ he says. Hegde, Marco Di Antonio, Giulia Biffi, Eun-Ang Raiber, Kate Nix x o c n a H

e n i l o r a C

t t i P

n a h t a N

: o t o h P

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 9 Research A question of metal binding

When she’s not teaching, Sally Boss is studying the coordination bonds ruthenium forms in biological systems, and how these might alter drug activity

Sally Boss combines her role as a teach - ‘There has been a fair amount in the lit - ing fellow with research in bioinor - erature concerning the antitumour ganic chemistry. Although her teaching properties of ruthenium compounds, duties keep her very busy, she still finds but a detailed understanding of exactly time to co-supervise two PhD students how these compounds exert their cyto - with Paul Barker, and a couple of Part III toxic effect remains unclear’ Sally says. project students looking at how metals ‘It’s not like the platinum-containing interact with biological systems. drug cisplatin, where there is a much ‘We’re working with simple ruthe - clearer idea of the mode of action. But nium organometallic complexes, trying if we can control the system, then we to exploit the fact that metals form may be able to find out more about how strong coordination bonds to Lewis these ruthenium complexes exert their bases in biological environments,’ she therapeutic effects.’ says. ‘We’re trying to direct where these The questions she hopes to be able to bonds form. The idea is to use organic answer are very simple, she says; for molecules with clearly defined biologi - example, the oxidation state of the cal targets to try and direct where the ruthenium might make it more or less metal will bind. therapeutically active. ‘Of course, if you ‘We’re working with a couple of dif - put a simple organometallic complex ferent organic directing molecules,’ she into a biological environment, it is demonstrating throughout her PhD says. ‘We are trying to tether our ruthe - likely that it will exchange some or even here in the department, and really nium organometallic complexes to all of its ligands. The complex that is enjoyed it. these directing molecules. This might administered is rarely the one that ‘This job came available at just the then direct the ruthenium into a spe - exerts a toxic or therapeutic effect so it right time, and it was perfect for me,’ cific target site where it will, hopefully, is a complicated problem to address.’ she says. ‘As an inorganic teaching fel - form a coordination bond with Lewis low, I can continue teaching while start - basic residues that are nearby.’ TEACHING DUTIES ing to carve out my own research area.’ It is important to synthesise com - During term-time, Sally’s teaching Within the department, her teaching pounds with linkers that conjugate the duties mean there is little time to con - includes lecturing the Part 1B coordina - organometallic part to the organic part centrate on research. Her contract is tion chemistry course, and supervising at varying distances, so there is a free - half-time in the department and the all of the inorganic chemistry courses dom for the metal to find its optimum other half at Churchill college, where for several different colleges. ‘I really site without disrupting the binding of she is an undergraduate tutor and has enjoy the supervision side of it, having the organic part, she says. ‘We are pastoral responsibility for about 50 stu - the opportunity to talk in such depth exploiting the fact that the chemistry of dents. She’s also an admissions tutor for with students who are really engaged metal complexes is completely distinct natural sciences, medicine and veteri - with the subject, and ask you challeng - from that of simple organic molecules. nary medicine. ‘It’s fascinating to see the Sally in the lab ing questions every week,’ she says. ‘It’s Can we exploit the fact that metals form workings of the admissions process – (above) and partly giving them the confidence to strong coordination bonds to bind to just how much time and effort is put teaching a group have a go at finding an answer without and inhibit proteins?’ into selecting candidates,’ she says. of sixth-formers on worrying about getting things wrong to In the longer term, the work might It was a natural progression for her – an outreach day start with – simply having a go is half have pharmaceutical applications. she’d done a lot of supervising and (below left) the battle with inorganic chemistry!’

Born: Swindon, and moved to the Interests: She’s been riding horses

s Peak District when she was 2, going since her schooldays, and owns one

s to school in Ripley very well-behaved horse and half of a o much more mischievous one – she B Status: Engaged to Sam Grace, a claims ownership of the back rather

y former Royal Marine and now a PE l

l than the front since the front half is teacher. They will marry this summer. a somewhat more dangerous! She also S Education: A chemistry degree at spends a lot of time running, cycling Bristol with a year spent in Heidelberg and swimming with Sam led on to a PhD here in Cambridge V Did you know? Never mind a paper

C with Andy Wheatley round, when she was a teenager she t t Career: In 2007, after a brief spell as i did a milk round before school. ‘It P

n a postdoc in Brian Johnson’s group, was from 4.30am to 8am, which was a h t she was appointed a teaching fellow good for the pocket money but it did a N

in the department and at Churchill mean that by lunchtime I was asleep : s o t College, a joint position she still holds so it was less good for my o h today schoolwork!’ P

10 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 Alumni Norrish, Emeléus, Todd and a bit of a deluge In the next few weeks, they were fol - Howard Clark writes to us from his home in Canada, with some lowed by the rest of the inorganic memories of his time in Cambridge Chemistry in the 1950s chemists on to the new fourth floor, and three of us were assigned the first large room along the corridor overlook - n Chem@Cam always makes interesting ing the Leys school yard. One of us, w o r reading and I am delighted to receive it. another ‘colonial’ just arrived in B

n The summer 2011 issue contained news Cambridge, set up as his first piece of o t g

n from John Ogilvie, whom I remember experimental work. This was a reflux i r r

a from about 1958–59 as an undergradu - apparatus for solvent purification and B

y ate who attended lectures I gave in inor - drying, to be left refluxing overnight. n o t ganic chemistry at the University of Unfortunately, he did not wire the n A

: British Columbia. rubber water leads onto the condenser, s o t I have been intending to write to you and during the night one slipped off, o h

P for some considerable time. This issue strator’s office off the large undergradu - From the left, with causing a considerable flood. By some brought back memories of both ate lab which most of the Emeléus varying degrees of mysterious route, some of the water Cambridge and UBC, and I can no group then temporarily occupied. fierceness: Norrish, descended into Lord Todd’s office, two longer refrain from writing. My room contained, in its fume hood Emeléus and Todd floors down on the corner of the build - John’s mention of Charles McDowell, adjacent to the single door entry to the ing, and landed on his new, unused head of the UBC chemistry department, room, the fluorine generator. This mon - magnificent teak desk. reminds me of the Norrish visit to UBC ster, on loan from ICI, contained the The three of us were cleaning up in at about that time. Following Norrish’s molten electrolyte of approximate com - the lab the next morning when we had first weekend in Vancouver, I recall position KF.2HF, and it was tempera - a visit from Harry Emeléus. He had Charles recounting to a group of faculty mental. Unpredictably, it would occa - been told of the flood and came to warn members, gathered one Monday morn - sionally spurt out on to the floor, gobs us that we could expect a visit from ing casually over coffee, that he had of the electrolyte, as a result of which all Lord Todd. Todd was naturally a big tall taken Norrish on the previous Sunday glassware in the room, including bottles imposing figure, but the angry, red- for a trip by car up the recently opened on the shelves, were etched. The win - faced Lord Todd who arrived in our road along Howe Sound to Squamish, dows overlooking Pembroke Street were room not long after was truly an awe - and beyond to the then undeveloped completely opaque from the etching! some sight! and largely unpopulated area where He proceeded to tell us, without any Whistler now stands. THE MOVE TO LENSFIELD ROAD questioning and in somewhat choice Charles recounted that immediately The Emeléus group was the very first to language, that all of us were incompe - on entering the car, Norrish had move to Lensfield Road in 1956, fol - tent idiots who should never have been extracted from some pocket a bottle or lowed then by the organic people. The let loose in a chemistry laboratory, and flask from which he steadily sipped, very first person to move into the new we should consider ourselves severely more interested in its contents than in building was Bill Brett, an Australian, reprimanded. the spectacular mountain scenery all who was asked by Emeléus to move one At the time, I felt a bit indignant that about him. On the return trip, Norrish, of the last remaining soda glass vacuum all three of us were blamed equally not surprisingly, just went to sleep! systems (used in Emeléus’ silane work when it was obvious who the real cul - My own Cambridge experience and perhaps inherited from Viktor prit was. In retrospect, I am sure that occurred in 1955–57 with those years Gutmann), with Fred Munn’s help, to Emeléus had already told Todd that the spent in the Emeléus group. On my Lensfield Road. person responsible had only just arrived arrival from New Zealand, I found that The working of soda glass required in Cambridge, and that Todd deliber - an Australian, Tom O’Donnell, had prolonged and careful annealing with ately cast the blame on all of us equally started some work on molybdenum the torch, a task which Bill and Fred rather than descend too vigorously on hexafluoride, and Emeléus suggested found quite impossible since the unfin - one poor individual just commencing that I might be interested in exploring ished building was still a construction his research career. the chemistry of vanadium pentafluo - site and there were frequent and unpre - In a day or so, Fred Munn told us that ride about which little was known. My dictable shut-downs in the gas supply. the new desk had to be sent out for first year was spent at Pembroke Street, Every piece of glass-blowing shattered refinishing before poor Lord Todd could much of it in a very small room that had and two more frustrated people would ever start using it in the office for which obviously originally been the demon - have been hard to find! he had waited so long.

John Wellsman and Robert Edwards. Calling the class of 1972! ‘Any help you could give in tracking them down would be most welcome!’ Chem@Cam was minding her own six of his contemporaries, and plans are Doug says. business in the Lensfield Road afoot for a 40-year lab reunion – but ‘Also, we don’t want to exclude any - ‘Emeritarium’ (© Alan Battersby) one he’s rather hoping to find the rest of his one, and if there was anyone else in the lunchtime in March when the phone colleagues from those days. Contact has lab who’s not on this list whom our rang. At the other end was Doug Yarrow been made with Messrs Evans, Howell, deficient memories have failed to recall, – who was rather fortunate to find any - McCardle, Domingos and Ashley Smith, then please get in touch too!’ one at the C@C desk – wondering if we but what of the rest? Are they reading Chem@Cam is, of course, delighted could help track down some of his ex- this issue of Chem@Cam – or do you to be of service, and please get in touch labmates from the Lewis/Johnson lab know where they are? via [email protected] if you can help from 1972. The missing people are John Segal, Doug out in his quest. If he succeeds, we He’s already managed to get hold of Colin Eadie, Reg Matthews, Reg Davies, look forward to the photos!

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 11 Alumni

World War I he devoted himself to prob - lems connected with high explosives, and A plea for more information acted as director of shell-filling from 1917–19. Tis the season for requests, clearly… Prize for postgraduate student presenta - But after that, the trail went cold. Do Matthew Fletcher, who studied Natural tions (is that correct?). any of our older readers remember Lowry? Sciences at Cambridge in the late 80s and I’d be particularly interested in any Or can anyone enlighten us further about early 90s, with a Part II in Chemistry, is photographs of him at Cambridge and his history or chemistry? Let us know! now a chemistry teacher. He writes: information about his involvement with The only portrait the local Methodist Church (Kingswood of Lowry we can Dear Editor is a Methodist Church School). Also, I find... can anyone It may be that my enquiry is best have not yet discovered to which college tell us more? answered by an appeal to the magazine’s he was affiliated. readership, but perhaps you are able to Thanks for any help you may be able assist. I have recently discovered that T. to give me. M. Lowry (of acid theory fame) was a Matthew Fletcher pupil at Kingswood School, where I teach. My pupils and I were very excited Chem@Cam’s first port of call was Brian by this discovery! Crysell, who always seems to know every - I’ve been searching for further infor - thing about old members of the department mation about him and found his obitu - (even those who predated him by some ary in J. Chem. Soc. 1937 p. 701 (and years, like Lowry!). He was able to track others, elsewhere), and a few other ref - down this photo, and also an obituary from erences to him on various websites. Nature which identified his college as From these, I learnt that he was the first Trinity Hall, and the fact that his father Professor of Physical Chemistry at was a Methodist chaplain. Cambridge (1920-1936), so I wonder There were some other fascinating if there is any information about him in nuggets in this obituary, such as his the department’s archive. I believe the involvement in the Trench Warfare and

department awards an annual Lowry Chemical Warfare committees, and during continued from page 2 probably means we’re making progress fundamental direction of new theories as they feel the system is more open. But and applications. This is working well, people know they are entitled to ask it does take up a great deal of my time, thanks to the fact that I have a wonder - when they need more space, but if it’s and I’m only going to do this for one ful group. not needed any more, please give it to more year. someone who needs it now. Are you finding it satisfying? Did you have any idea how busy Jane: It depends on the day! Some weeks Overall, how do you feel the role would make you when I feel that all I’ve done is listen to peo - it’s going? you agreed to take it on? ple’s stressful stories, but for the most Jane: Sometimes I feel like the depart - David: Well, I didn’t think it would be part, yes, it’s very satisfying. You have to ment’s mother! Some weeks I have peo - quite as much work as it is! But a lot of pay back – the department’s been good ple through my door every day with this has been the start-up and putting to me and I really appreciate the oppor - issues and problems. But if I can help processes in place that will be more effi - tunity to work in one of the best chem - make the department more supportive cient in the future. istry departments in the world. of people, and a kinder, gentler place to At the start, we had still to recruit I’m also really committed to encour - work, then I would be happy. some of the people needed to support aging more women to stay in science. Like so many workplaces, it can the new structure, particularly Daphne All the evidence is that if the working sometimes feel a little like a bear-pit – Kaufhold, who is the head of depart - conditions are good that would encour - everyone is so keen to get their research ment’s executive assistant, and is han - age more young women to think sci - done, and they may not realise that dling issues ranging from email ence is a career they would like to have. while they might feel personnel matters enquiries being filtered and sent to the You don’t have to be aggressive to be a are getting in the way of research, we all appropriate person, to identifying those great scientist – it should be possible to actually have legal responsibilities as things that had fallen through the cracks thrive if you are a gentle, collaborative employers and managers. And, of previously. So it should work better in and supportive sort of person. course, happy students and postdocs are the future, and we hope will take up less David: Yes – I really enjoy both discov - much more productive! of everyone’s time. ering new things and helping people, I find it interesting that more issues If everything works properly, it either directly through collaborative are coming through my door now than should take the lower level issues away research, or indirectly, by facilitating were last year. I think that’s because from the senior members of the depart - research. You can get a lot of personal people, particularly assistant staff, now ment, who shouldn’t have to get satisfaction from resolving problems. feel more directly involved in the together quite so often to discuss things I’m trying to fulfil my responsibilities department. I’m proud to have been that ought to be sorted out at the without being overstretched, and involved in setting up the assistant staff research interest group level. I haven’t remain available to my group whenever committee, which helps them find out measured the amount of time it takes up they need me. My door’s always open if directly what’s happening in the depart - – I just do what needs to be done. It’s I’m not in a meeting, and research is ment, and it’s been really successful. I coincided with by far the most produc - still my number one priority, but help - think maybe people now have the con - tive time ever for my research in terms ing this wonderful department to run fidence that if there’s a problem, action of grants and group size, and my role and reinforce its position as, arguably, will definitely be taken. So although has changed somewhat, away from the best chemistry department in the more issues are coming to me, I think it hands-on programming towards more world is a very worthwhile objective.

12 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 Chat lines Messing about on the river A baby boy… This issue’s dose of bonny baby loveli - ness comes in the form of Thomas Jack Atkins, son of Catherine Atkins, who’s Chris Abell’s secretary, and her hubby Steve, who’s a senior software tester at a data mining company. He made his appearance on Easter Monday last year,

g almost 13 days late, weighing in at an n i t impressive 8lb 12oz and, his mum says, n o P

with the loudest cry known to man! d i v Catherine’s now back from maternity a D

: leave and sent us over this rather lovely o t o photo of a smiling Thomas to celebrate. for bird and saying “ba”. He loves cows h P ‘He’s now a reformed character, very as well, and can say “moo”.’ She adds While this year’s boat race provided the Krit in bumping happy and smiley,’ she says. ‘He loves that he can eat for England – and is most drama anyone can remember (and action, fourth birds and is constantly pointing them rather keen on rough play with his a Cambridge win, to boot), this issue from the back out in the garden, doing baby signing three-year-old sister Lucy. Chem@Cam reports on a much more arcane version of the sport – bumps. Pretty much peculiar to Oxbridge, it’s ...and baby birds building and the Unilever. While this rowing as a contact sport, and provided a spike-free environment, it x o

Chem@Cam got chatting to Krit wasn’t exactly very bright, as Rebecca c n Sitathani, who’s doing a PhD in the sur - Myers, whose office is right next to it, a H

face science group under Steve Jenkins, reports. ‘When I finished for Easter it n i l o

and just happens to row in Downing’s was raining, and she was busy shoring r a C

second boat. He only took up rowing her nest up with the help of other fam - : o t

after coming to Cambridge from ily members to keep her eggs out of the o h Liverpool a couple of years ago – there, rising water,’ she says. ‘Their attempts P he took part in various different martial were in vain and her nest flooded, and arts. So switching to combat rowing her attempts to build another nest fur - seems somehow appropriate. ther up the trough outside the library There are two bumps races a year, the office window were thwarted.’ Lent bumps and the May bumps As Chem@Cam went to press just (which, being Cambridge, of course, are after Easter, Rebecca reported that for held in June). It’s a four-day event, with the previous couple of days the family each boat taking part in one race a day. Pigeons were proving to be something had been huddled up nearby. ‘It was There are usually multiple divisions of a menace to those who work under - either in grief, or plotting their next (races) per day, and during each division neath the area around the entrance to move,’ she says. If they have any sense, 17 boats line up about 1.5 boat lengths stores – they roosted on the win - she’ll find another, safer nesting spot! apart. When the cannon is fired to start dowsills, and the resulting, ahem, the race, they all set off and try to hit the deposits they made were making it boat in front of them. If they succeed, rather unpleasant to work beneath. that’s the end of their race for the day, One pigeon had made a nest there, and also for the boat that’s been hit. which was cleared away before she The boats then swap places in the could lay any eggs, but she sneaked starting lineup for the next race. ‘This back, made another, and laid eggs means you can normally only go up Comings straightaway. This time, the nest was four places in a set of races, although & goings allowed to remain, and as soon as her there are also occasionally “over - hatchlings made their first flight, the bumps”, where you hit the a boat 3 Retired ledge was cleared and spikes erected to places ahead if the boat in front of you Phil Gallego prevent a repeat performance. have ‘bumped’ out,’ Krit says. But that wasn’t the end of the story Krit’s boat did pretty well in the Lent New staff for intrepid Mrs Pigeon – she built Tom Sweet bumps this year – they managed to Simon Chapman another nest, this time on the metal bump the boat in front each day, earn - Adriana Costa trough that collects rainwater outside ing ‘blades’. ‘Only a small number of the link corridor between the main crews out of the 112 crews this year earned blades – which is much better than being hit every day and being After many years working for the Christmas charity awarded “spoons”!’ he says. university, the past ‘The thing about earning blades is 10 of them in In the run-up to Christmas every year, that it not only requires being a decent chemistry, glass we hand the car park over at weekends crew, but also a good amount of luck. blower and former to the South Cambridge Rotary Club, You might be faster than the boat in Chem@Cam cover who then charge Christmas shoppers to

star Phil Gallego t t

front, but it’s not guaranteed that you park there. i P

retired back in

will hit them - or they might hit the This year, the chemistry car park n December. He’s a h crew in front of them first, leaving you raised an impressive £2665, with the t pictured with his a N

an awful lot of ground to catch up to money going to Standing Start, Jimmy’s :

wife Yvonne and o t

get an overbump.’ Bill Jones at his Night Shelter, Wintercomfort and o h Clear as mud! leaving do Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. P

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 13 Chat lines Cheers at Christmas!

Another Christmas, another chance to get together with assistant staff old and new over a drink. Nathan Pitt took the photos

Clockwise from left: Pat Chapman, Katherine Abell and Phil Gallego; Marita Walsh, Anne Railton and Bill Jones; Victoria Blake, Sue Cowan and Liz Alan; Andy Milner, Russell Oates, Matt Bushen and Richard Preston

Clockwise from left: Emma Graham and Caroline Hancox; Tiger Coxall and Roger Ward; Jane Snaith and David Plumb, Erwin Reisner, Julie Lee and Chris Wilson; Bill Jones and Sue Johnson

14 Chem@Cam Spring 2012 Puzzle corner

Last issue’s solutions Turnbull, Helen Stokes, Audrey This issue’s puzzles Herbert and A.J. Wilkinson. Literary chemistry As it’s currently a lovely sunny Spot the missing element David Wilson’s chemistry-to-arts day, Chem@Cam is working in her A short-but-sweet puzzle reaches us from Karl-Railton Woodcock in puzzle drew many compliments alternative home office, in full sight Australia. He says… What do the following chemical elements have in from readers. The answers were of a bird feeder. So avian chance was common, why are they listed in this not-quite-alphabetical order, and Brideshead Revisited, Frankenstein, allowed to pick the winners – how which missing element would complete the group? Ivanhoe, Northanger Abbey, many birds it took before a non- Al, Ar, Ca, Co, Ga, In, La, Mn, Mo, Mt, Ne, Nd, Pa and Sc. Kidnapped, Prometheus Unbound, sparrow appeared on it. The 14th Great Expectations, Agnes Grey, bird after we started counting spar - PVC labelling Villette and Silas Marner. rows (there are rather a lot of spar - As that one was so short we have room for a bonus puzzle from reg - One or two readers gave the rows in these parts) was a spectacu - ular contributor Graham Quartly. He says…Professor Haddock was so answer to the PB Shelley The Cenci lar northern cardinal, so the £20 pleased with his discovery of words on elemental cubes – the puzzle or The Cloud, which are technically prize goes to Derry Jones. in last summer’s issue – that he investigated placing letters on differ - correct so we’ve allowed them, even ent polyhedra, and was enthralled to find the 12 letters C, D, E, H, I, though they’re not what David said. ChemDoku L, N, O, P, R, V and Y could be placed on a dodecahedron such that a Correct answers came from Our ever-popular Chemdoku puzzle path between adjacent faces could be traced out, spelling polyvinyl Robert Mather, Martin Robiette produced its usual clutch of correct chloride. The challenge is to find another combination of letters that (who claims to have been upbraided answers, and the sneakily-absent will allow another recognised chemical to be traced out. The 12 faces by his old mate Tom Banfield for not element was rhenium. must all have a different letter, and the path be between neighbouring sending in answers in the past), Karl Correct solutions from: A.J. faces, thus ruling out any double letters, such as in ‘ferric chloride’. Railton-Woodcock, Alison Griffin, Wilkinson, Robin Foster, Audrey The longest valid chemical name wins. Morgan Morgan, Martin Firth (who Herbert, Helen Stokes, John confesses he graduated in 1981 and Turnbull, Jim Dunn, E Davies, Tim ChemDoku thus had to look up some of the ele - O’Donoghue, Godfrey Chinchen, £20 prizes are ments – and, worse, Villette – but he John Collier (who says his periodic Au Na Ag on offer for still looks forward to receiving table coffee mug proved invaluable Sn Sb Fe each puzzle. Chem@Cam, and is continually sur - in identifying rhenium), Richard Send entries by prised by how much of the chem - Brown, John Carpenter, Tom Pb Sn Hg email to istry he can still understand!), John Banfield, Chris Hubbard, Alex [email protected] Ag Pb Sb Sn Nixon, Paul Stickland, John Mckeeman, Robert Blyth, Morgan or by snail mail Carpenter, Richard Moss, Anthony Morgan, Alison Griffin, Karl to Chem@Cam, Jenkins, Richard Brown, Derry Railton-Woodcock and Martin Department of Jones, John Collier (who says he Robiette. Fe Sn Ag Hg Chemistry, University of took a break from his A-level mark - This time the sparrows got out of Hg Fe Ag ing – Cambridge board, of course – the way rather sharpish, and we Cambridge, to do the puzzles), Godfrey only had to wait four birds for a Na W Pb Lensfield Road, Cambridge, Chinchen, Tim O’Donoghue, house finch to show up. So the prize Ag Sn Na Kimberley Whittaker, Rob is on its way to Helen Stokes. CB2 1EW Broughton, Jim Dunn, John Congratulations! Usual rules, usual prize... but what do these elements have in common?! The Corporate Associates Scheme Arecor Thanks to the generosity of the depart - I Access to emerging Cambridge F. Hoffmann-La Roche Astex Therapeutics ment’s Corporate Associates, we have research via conferences, special brief - GlaxoSmithKline been able to benefit the education and ings and various publications; AstraZeneca environment for students and staff. For I Access to the department library Heptares Therapeutics AstraZeneca Cambridge – example, the Associates make significant and photocopying/printing facilities; IDBS Medimmune contributions to the library for journal I Regular communications about subscriptions. Moreover, they provide upcoming events and colloquia; Illumina Asynt exam prizes, faculty teaching awards I Subscriptions to department publi - Johnson Matthey Catalysts Biotica Technology and summer studentships, and have cations, including Chem@Cam; recently funded the refurbishment of a I Priority notification of and free Maruzen International Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma state-of-the-art meeting room with tele - access to departmental research lectures; I Merck, Sharp & Dohme BP conferencing and display facilities. Ability to hold ‘Welcome Stalls’ in Research Laboratories BP Institute Corporate Associate membership not the department entrance hall; only provides essential support for the I Preferential conference rates; Novartis Bristol-Myers Squibb I department, but also provides numer - Free access to the teaching lectures Pfizer Cambridge Biotechnology ous benefits to help members work with held within the department; us and achieve their business objectives. I The full services of the Corporate Procter & Gamble Cambridge Display Technology Members enjoy many benefits through Relations team to facilitate interaction Royal Society of Chemistry Cambridge Medical Innovations their enhanced partnership with the with students, staff, and other parts of department, such as: the University of Cambridge to help Sigma-Aldrich CambridgeSoft I Visibility within the department; achieve your corporate objectives. Chemical Computing Group I A dedicated meeting room and If your organisation would be inter - Society for Chemical Industry Cornelius Specialties office for members to use while visiting ested in joining the Corporate Associates Takeda Cambridge the department; Scheme, then please email Sian Bunnage Dr Reddy’s Custom I Invitations to recognition days and at [email protected], or call Unilever Pharmaceutical Services networking events at the department; 01223 336339. Uniqsis

Chem@Cam Spring 2012 15 When you said there was a new disabled lift, I didn’t think that was quite what you meant...

Chem@Cam is written, edited and produced

by S ARAH H OULTON

Printed by Callimedia, Colchester