The Mole Street Journal Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Excellence in the Central Science The Mole Street Journal Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 January 2020

Remembering Research Pioneer and University Emeritus Professor James Faulk Hinton The department lost a He was the director of the Inside this issue: longtime faculty member, NIH NMR Core facility research pioneer and friend. until his retirement to Uni-

James Faulk "Jim" Hinton, Jr., versity Professor Emeritus Letters from the 3 University Professor in 2016. outgoing and Emeritus, passed away incoming department on July 20 in Fayetteville. As director of the NIH chairs The funeral service was held NMR Core Facility, Hinton July 27. worked closely with faculty Alumni Spotlight 4 and students to develop He is survived by his wife, new NMR techniques to Barbara Elizabeth Hinton; address the goals of their Alumna Mary 5 three sons, James David projects. He developed Good Hinton, Robert Edward new NMR pulse sequences remembered Hinton and Thomas Wade to examine both the struc- Blyholder gift 7 Hinton; and five grandchil- Hinton was a pioneer in the ture and dynamics of pro- appreciated dren. Hinton was born on development of Nuclear teins. These NMR tech- May 5, 1938, in Bessemer, Magnetic Resonance (NMR) niques are being used to Alabama, to James Faulk Sr. techniques to study im- determine the structure Student 8-10 and Ouida Elva Hinton. and function of proteins achievements portant chemical and biological systems. He established that have important roles He received his B.S. degree the NMR Core Facility at the in human health, including Sin Limites 9 in 1960 from the University University of Arkansas in heart disease, brain func- program of Alabama, and his M.S. in 1971 with an NSF grant to tion, wound healing and highlights 1962 and doctorate in purchase the first major cancer. As University New Grad 11 1964 from the University NMR spectrometer at the U Professor Emeritus, Hin- Students of Georgia working with of A, a Bruker HFX-90. He ton continued to work Fall 2019 professor J.F. Johnson. went on to receive addition- closely with students and Faculty 12-21 al grants to fund state-of-the colleagues to use NMR to achievements Hinton joined the Depart- -art NMR spectrometers, address important ment of Chemistry and Bio- including a Department of biomedical problems. chemistry at the University Education grant to purchase Arkansas INBRE 22 of Arkansas as a postdoctoral Hinton also developed an Research the first high field supercon- Conference 2019 student working with ducting NMR at the U of A, Immersive 3D Virtual Real- professor Ed Amis in 1965. a Bruker 500 MHz NMR. He ity system that allows im- He was appointed assistant then wrote the section of mersion of an observer professor in 1967, was pro- the NIH COBRE grant in into a protein, in order to moted to associate professor 2000 to fund and set up 500 be able to "walk around" in 1971, professor in 1975, and 700 MHz spectrometers inside a protein to under- University Professor in 1989, with high-sensitivity cyro- stand how it functions. U and University Professor probes. neuromuscular dis- of A students and faculty Emeritus in 2016. eases. use this system to view the The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 2

protein structures they have channel-forming ionophore Radda at Oxford University where determined by NMR and X-ray gramicidin A. Using Tl-205 NMR, they developed the crystallography, and to design they determined the thermody- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) new experiments to namics and kinetics of cation technique. Briggs went on to be- understand the function of the binding to gramicidin. Hinton come a pioneer in the protein. Many students and developed 2D NMR techniques development of MRI, which is now visitors have experienced this to determine the complete three one of the most powerful virtual reality system and have -dimensional structure of methods of medical diagnosis. been fascinated by its potential gramicidin in biological Dikoma C. Shungu, who received use in many biomedical fields, membranes, as well as the his doctorate with Hinton in 1986, including drug design. backbone and side-chain is now professor at Weill Cornell dynamics. Cation transport Medical College, and has Hinton was a pioneer in the is critically important to the developed advanced MRI tech- study of the role of monovalent transmission of nerve impulses niques to study neurological and cations such as Na+ and K+ in from one brain cell to another, metabolic disorders. biological systems. He developed and down the nerve cell axon to the Thallium 205 (Tl205) NMR stimulate the muscle. Their method to study the binding and research provided insight into transport of monovalent cations many neurological and neuro- across biological membranes by muscular diseases. ionophore antibiotics such as valinomycin, monensin, nigericin, Hinton also worked with col- nonactin and dinactin. His studies leagues to develop improved on the thermodynamics and theoretical methods to study kinetics of monovalent cation biological systems. One of his binding to these antibiotics papers with Peter Pulay is the provided greater insight into most cited scientific article to their mechanism of action, which come from the state of Arkansas. (K. Wolinski, J.F. Hinton and P. Pulay, "Efficient Implementation of the GIAO Method for NMR Chemical Shift Calculations," JACS, 112, 8251 (1990)).

Hinton published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals with his students and colleagues. He was also an outstanding Denise Greathouse teacher and mentor to Researchers at the University of Arkansas can study proteins up close undergraduate honors students

and personal using a virtual reality and graduate students and program. directed the dissertations of 26 doctoral students. His graduate could lead to the development of courses were popular and improved antibiotics. graduate students held him in high esteem. Hinton's students Hinton and his students and have done exceptionally well in colleagues then focused their their careers. Richard Briggs, research on how monovalent one of Hinton's first doctor- cations are transported across al students, took a postdoctoral biological membranes by the position with professor George The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 3

From the Chair ~ Wesley Stites (past chair)

On August 31st I stepped down as the chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, after almost exactly five years in that position. The next day, September 1st, I began working as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. I will remain on the faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and many of my duties in my new position will impact the department, but my focus will be broader.

Matt McIntosh, who has served for the past 5 years as the vice chair, was appointed as interim chair. Matt was appointed chair of the department in November by Fulbright College Dean, Todd Shields.

I'm sure that the future holds many interesting and good things for the department, but please allow me here to briefly reflect on the past five years. The university and the department, of course, have changed over the past five years. We have welcomed many new faculty and students, but one of the more notable changes has been a large-scale turnover of our staff, after many years of stability.

The staff of the department is sometimes overlooked by both the faculty and the students, but as chair it was blindingly obvious to me that without the hard work of our staff both the faculty and students would be unable to do their work and studies. We have been blessed with many wonderful people in these critical positions over the course of my career here, but, as noted above, there had not been a great deal of change. Today, there is not a single person in the departmental administrative staff who is working in the same position that they occupied at the beginning of my time as chair. Indeed, there are only two people who were working in the department at the time I became chair. One of those individuals, Heather, has only recently returned to the department after spending time in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.

Hiring and working with our new staff as they learn their jobs has been one of the greatest challenges and rewards of my time as chair. I view it as a near miracle that we were able to keep going with very few hiccups as this generational change of people took place. That is due to them and not me, but I'm very proud both of the former and current people in those positions and to have played a small part in that change.

The department also saw a large number of faculty positions turn over. Again, I am glad to have been given the opportunity to play a small part in this change and to welcome a wonderful group of new people into our faculty ranks. That excitement was bittersweet with the retirement of so many experienced and distinguished faculty.

Many wonderful undergraduate and graduate students have passed through the department and they seem to get better every year. I am pleased that my plan to offer all our large service courses every semester has been accomplished. This change was hard to pull off, but it has equalized our spring and fall teaching loads and contributed substantially to the gains in the University's four and six year graduation rates.

We aren't done with change in the department of course. Perhaps the biggest disappointment for me is that while the data clearly show that we are the second to last in funding of our teaching mission in the entire University, we have not been able to grow in numbers of faculty, staff, and teaching assistants to handle the increasing strain this is causing.

I am hopeful that message is getting through at last and that we will be properly funded and ready to grow to the next level under the next chair.

Thanks to all who have made the positive changes of the last five years possible, Wesley Stites

The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 4

ALUMNI one-story house about 1.3 miles Science and Engineering at the away in the perimeter of an assisted Pontificia Universidad Católica SPOTLIGHT living facility and are in the process Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) located of moving. It turns out that moving GERARD (JERRY) in Santo Domingo, Dominican VINTON SMITH is daunting, especially after accumu- Republic. He started this position Ph.D. 1959 lating stuff for the 61 years they’ve back in April of this year. been married. Jerry closes by saying Randy’s research work is about the Jerry is particularly proud of a book as the Hungarians do, "Ilyen az elet" development of medical diagnostic he published back in 1999, - such is life. tools based on paper-based micro- "Heterogeneous Catalysis in Organic fluidics technologies. The idea is to Chemistry". He says, “Incredibly, JEFF SCHWEHM people are still buying it.” Originally Ph.D. 1998 develop easy-to-use medical diagnostic devices for the screening Academic Press published it, but now Elsevier Inc. does. They send It has been busy couple of years for of tropical or mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue, Zika, him royalties on March 30 of every alum Jeffrey Schwehm. Chikungunya, year and the last one reported they and so on. had sold 728 hard copies. Most sold Jeff got married in June 2018 and Mosquito- now are electronic copies, which right before that, he was awarded appear not counted in the total, so the Outstanding Faculty in Teaching borne Jerry guesses they'll never sell 1,000 and Leadership at Concordia Uni- diseases impact the hard copies, which I think is some versity Ann Arbor in the Spring of Dominican sort of "success" marker for an aca- 2018, where he had been for the Republic demic book. past six years. greatly every

year and their Jerry started the book when he was Then in the spring of 2019, he a Visiting Professor at Pohang Uni- heard from an old friend back in impact is versity of Science and Technology in Nebraska, the state where he had going to 1996 and lecturing to a class of started his independent career at exponentially increase due to climate change and expand to other chemical engineering graduate stu- the (other) Concordia University. dents. He soon saw that the stu- areas of the world (https://www.nytimes.com/ dents didn't know much about het- His friend had just become Provost interactive/2019/06/10/climate/ erogeneous catalysis, so he wrote an at Bryan College of Health Sciences dengue-mosquito-spread- introductory chapter for them. Jerry in Lincoln, Nebraska and recruited continued to work on it in 1997. Jeff to their faculty as chemistry map.html). Later, in 1998, when Jerry and his professor. So he and his new wife wife, Jolynn, spent most of the sum- moved back to Nebraska this past Randy is establishing a mer in Szeged, Hungary, he wrote June. Bioengineering Lab as well. He much of the rest and was fortunate received some initial funds and to recruit one of his Hungarian col- Jeff says of Lincoln, “This is an support from the university to start leagues, Ferenz Notheisz, to write interesting place. It is a non- his research project. the last chapter on homogeneous residential college housed on a catalysis, which was just becoming hospital campus. I teach in their Also, he founded a biotech startup popular then. Biomedical Sciences program.” called Ventnostics, LLC (www.ventnostics.com) to develop Jerry writes that his wife and he are RANDY F. ESPINAL and commercialize over-the- getting old and their kids wanted Ph.D. 2018 counter diagnostic tools for them to get out of their current tropical or mosquito-borne house, which they’d lived in for 50 Randy is back in his home country, diseases. This will be in collabora- years. He writes that their kids wor- the Dominican Republic, and is now tion with his university (the details ry about them going up and down a professor of chemistry in about the collaboration are still in the stairs, so he and Jolynn bought a the Department of Exact and the works, since it is something Natural Sciences of The School of totally new.) The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 5

Remembering esteemed • The IRI Medal (1991) from the Good earned her bachelor of sci- chemist and alumna, Mary Industrial Research Institute for ence in chemistry and physics in contributions to technological 1950, and went on to study Lowe Good innovation. radiochemistry at the Univer- https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/129067/ mary-good-pioneering-arkansas-scientist-dies-at-88 • The Charles Lathrop Parsons sity of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Award for Public Service (1991) "One research breakthrough Mary Lowe Good, a pioneering from the American Chemical changed the field of medicine and scientist, distinguished educator, Society. remains a mainstay in treating thy- successful researcher in private • The Glenn T. Seaborg Medal roid disorders," the Arkansas Busi- business and high-ranking govern- (1996) from the University of ness profile noted. "People had ment official who served as under- California at Los Angeles for con- been using iodine — radioactive secretary for technology in the U.S. tributions to chemistry and bio- iodine — to treat thyroid disor- Department of Commerce under chemistry. ders, and it was the wrong chemis- President Bill Clinton, died • The American Chemical Society's try for the thyroid to pick up," she told the CHF. "So all we had to do Wednesday morning at her home highest honor, the Priestley was add a little bit of iodide to it. in Little Rock. She was 88. Medal (1997). (Among other That stabilized the radioactive iso- winners of the Priestley Medal Good, a native of Texas who was Linus Pauling, winner of the tope and it handled it very well." moved to Arkansas as a child, won Nobel Prize in Chemistry in many awards during her career, 1954.) By 1955, Good had earned her including the National Science master's and her doctorate. She • The AAAS Phillip Hauge Abelson Foundation's highest honor, the then began a 25-year teaching and Prize (1998) from the American Vannevar Bush Award. research career in the Louisiana Association for the Advancement State University System, both at of Science. The founding dean of the UA LSU in Baton Rouge and at the Donaghey College of Engineering & University of New Orleans. Good In 2004, Good received the Vannevar Information Technology at the ultimately attained the office of Bush Award, and in 2012 she was one University of Arkansas at Little Boyd Professor of Chemistry, the of five inaugural honorees of the U.S. Rock, Good was named to the first woman to achieve the univer- inaugural class of Arkansas News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame. sity's most distinguished rank. In Women's Hall of Fame in 2015. 1978, she developed a new pro- Good, born in Grapevine, Texas, on

June 20, 1931, moved to Arkansas gram as the Boyd Professor of In an Arkansas Business profile of Materials Science, Division of her on that occasion, she explained with her parents, who were schoolteachers, to the town of Kirby Engineering Research, at LSU. her motivation: "I've never been (Pike County) and then to Willisville afraid to do new things. In fact, I Good entered the private sector in like to do new things." "I don't (Nevada County). the 1980s, taking a job in 1981 at mind jumping into something I Universal Oil Products in Chicago, She went to Arkansas State Teachers know not very much about and I a company that evolved into believe I'll be able to learn it," she College (now the University of AlliedSignal and then Honey- Central Arkansas) to earn a home said. "I think that's really a big piece well. "UOP [made] a living by li- of it." economics degree, but a freshman censing technology. You have to chemistry class altered that have the best technology and you Good's willingness to learn new trajectory. have to have it first," she told the things led to many firsts. She was CHF. "So that's kind of a fun and "I had a fabulous elderly man that the first woman elected to the challenging thing to do and I board of the American Chemical taught freshman chemistry and I was enjoyed that very much." Good Society and its first female intrigued by it," she said in a 2012 film was appointed to the board of the president, in 1987. by the Chemical Heritage Foundation. National Science Foundation by "I just thought it was the most inter- President Jimmy Carter in 1980, Good was also the first woman to esting thing I'd ever had anything becoming the first woman to chair receive: to do with. My time as a home ec the board, and was reappointed by major was one semester." The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 6

President Ronald Reagan. President Good met her husband, Bill Good, held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, George H.W. Bush named her to while both were graduate students Nov. 25, at Pinecrest Funeral Home, the President's Council of Advisors in physics. They married in 1952. Bill 7401 Hwy. 5 N. in Alexander. The on Science & Technology in Good predeceased her. Good's funeral was held Nov. 26 at the 1991. Good left AlliedSignal in 1993 sister, Dr. Betty Lowe, was same location at 2 p.m. Tuesday, to become undersecretary for tech- instrumental in the growth of Nov. 26. In lieu of flowers, the nology in the U.S. Department of Arkansas Children's Hospital in family has suggested donations to Commerce in the Clinton admin- Little Rock, which she served as the Women's Foundation of istration. Good became the medical director. Betty Lowe died in Arkansas' Girls of Promise program, Donaghey University Professor at 2013. Good is survived by two sons, Arkansas Repertory Theatre or the UALR in 1997 and the founding dean Billy John Good of Little Rock and Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. of the EIT College. Good retired James Patrick Good of Madison, from the EIT College in 2011, going Wisconsin; their wives, Peggy Good on to serve a variety of advisory and Laura Good; four grandchildren; roles in higher education, business and two great-grandchildren. A and economic development. visitation with Good's family was

Chemistry family tree for Mary Lowe Good, Ph. D., Inorganic Chemistry, University of Arkansas, 1955. Though the department has an outstanding pedigree, only a few former and current faculty of the department have well-populated trees; many faculty members and recent doctorates do not. For information on registering and updating your tree, contact [email protected]. A departmental family tree poster is in the works; details in the next Mole. Reformatted data with permission of academictree.org. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 7

George D. Blyholder Endowed Award in Physical Chemistry Gifts Provide Needed Support to Students

The department continues to receive donations from former Ph.D students of Dr. Blyholder. These donations along with a recent significant donation from Mrs. Betty Blyholder provide support to physical chemistry students. The department and the awarded students are grateful for this generous support that allows them to remain research active outside of the regular academic year. It has a substantial positive impact on students’ careers here at the University of Arkansas and opens opportunities for them once they graduate and leave our campus for the

wider world.

Graduate Students Receive Department Awards

Victoria Gilson Hunter and Miguel Abrego Tello both received the Wally Cordes Teaching Assistant Award for excellence in teaching undergraduate laboratories. Anh Nguyen received both the Wally Cordes Teaching Assistant Award and the George D. Blyholder Endowed Award in Physical Chemistry. The Blyholder will provide support to Nguyen in his final semester, spring 2020.

Anh Nguyen receiving the Blyholder Award in Physical Chemistry. He is accompanied by Physical Chemistry Professor, Seymour Wang.

Miguel Abrego Tello is surprised and happy to receive the Cordes Teaching Award. The award is presented to him by department chair, Matt McIntosh, and Chris Mazzanti.

Victoria Gilson Hunter is thrilled to receive the Cordes Teaching Assistant Award. She is accompanied Anh Nguyen gives a thumbs up to by teaching lab director, Dr. Chris receiving the Cordes Teaching Mazzanti. Assistant Award from Chris Mazzanti. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 8

Opportunities to Support Students

Why give? Your gift allows us to provide more students with opportunities to learn and grow in working research labs.

Where to give There are several funds to support specific areas of research or to recognize academic achievement.

Undergraduate Graduate • Amis Chemistry Scholarship • A.W. Cordes Chemistry Fund • Arthur and Lois Fry Scholarship in Chemistry • Anthony Ray Jude Memorial Award • Barbara Wertheim Campbell Award • Collis Geren Award • Chemistry and Biochemistry Achievement Award • Virginia R. Hicks Endowed Scholarship • Chemistry and Biochemistry Scholarship Fund • Donald and Susan Bobbitt Award in Chem- • Coulter W. Jones Award istry and Drama • Frederick A. Kekule Award • Dr. and Mrs. Roger B. Bost • Jacob and Wilma Sacks Endowed Award Chemistry Fund • International Graduate Student Fellowship • Jacob Sacks Chemistry Award • George D. Blyholder Endowed Award in • Kathy Noland Chemistry Award Physical Chemistry • Octa N. High Chemistry and Biochemistry Scholarship • Barrett S. and Peggy S. Duff Doctoral • Samuel and Betty Siegel Fellowship in Chemistry Scholarship • W. Ves Childs Science Education Scholarship • William K. Noyce Scholarship

There also is a general fund that supports the department with its most immediate needs.

Ways to give Give Online https://onlinegiving.uark.edudesignation=J.+William+Fulbright+College+of+Arts+and+Sciences In the Designation box select “Other department, program or fund” and in the Other department, program, or fund enter “Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry” (or the name of a specific fund in the department to which you want to donate).

Other ways to give • Check or Electronic Bank Draft - https://annualfund.uark.edu/make-a-gift/AnnualFundGiftForm.pdf • Payroll Deduction for U of A employees - https://red-white-true.uark.edu/payroll-deduct/ • Estate & Gift Planning - http://plannedgiving.uark.edu/ • Matching Gifts - http://www.matchinggifts.com/uark • Stock or Wire Transfer - Call Gift Services at (479) 575-7970

To discuss a gift to Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, please contact: The Office of Development & External Relations at 479-575-3712 or [email protected]. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 9

Bundles of Joy

Matt Gerner, Instructor, and his wife, Rachel, welcomed a son named David Charles in to their family in August.

Email what you would like to share in the newsletter to [email protected].

To become an alumni member, visit arkansasalumni.org.

In 2020, look for a new email newsletter format for the Mole produced by the department and distributed by the Arkansas Alumni Association.

Will and Christena Nash (PhD 2014) Congratulations to alumna Molly Steen welcomed in June a for being promoted to Deputy Chief daughter, Abigail Julie, Pharmacist at Quentin N. Burdick into their family. Memorial Health Care Facility. Abigail joins big brother, Ezekiel, and the rest of the Nash clan in their home in the Atlanta area. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 10 Poster Competition Winners Students Successfully Defend Announced Dissertations The following students successfully defensed their Congratulations to Mahsa Lotfi-Marchoobeh and dissertations and will graduate in the fall 2019 term. Colin O’Donnell who won 1st and 2nd place, respectively, in the departmental 3-minute thesis Fahmida Afrose, CHEMPH competition. Influence of single and multiple histidine residues and their ionization

Colin O’Donnell properties on transmembrane helix dynamics, orientations and fraying. Advisor: Roger Koeppe II

Mercede Furr, CEMBPH Toward Understanding the Mechanism of Protein Targeting in the Chloroplast Signal Recognition Mahsa Lofti-Marchoobeh Particle Pathway Advisor: S. Thallapuranam

Students Pass CUMEs Matt McKay, CHEMPH The passing of cumulative exams earns Rotational Tuning of Transmembrane students the status of Ph.D. candidate. Helix Properties Based on the Precise Miguel Abrego Tello Advisor: Roger Koeppe Chitre, Panama BS University of Arkansas Jessica Pickens, CHEMPH Probing of carbohydrate-protein Andrew Hodge interactions using galactonoamidine Boonsboro, MD inhibitors BS Henderson State University Advisor: Susanne Striegler

Qile Wang, CHEMPH Reactivity of Photogenerated Amine Jingnan Li Radical Cations Henan, China Advisor: Nan Zheng BS Beijing Institute of Technology Dustin Baucom, CHEMPH Single molecule fluorescence studies of Peter Ponce protein structure and dynamics underlying Clarksville, TN the chloroplast signal recognition particle BS Austin Peay State University targeting pathway Advisor: Colin Heyes

Amanda Raley Musaab Habeeb Ali Al Ameer, Nacogdoches, TX CEMBPH BS Stephen F. Austin University Cloning, Protein Expression, and Characterization of Interleukin 1 Alpha Advisor: S. Thallapuranam The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 11 Chemistry Doctoral Sin Limites – Middle Student Successfully School Enrichment Defends Dissertation Program Sep. 11, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/ articles/49901/chemistry-doctoral-student- successfully-defends-dissertation Denise Greathouse partnered with Luis Restrepo from the Matthew McKay, a graduate Department of World Languages, student in chemistry and Literature and Cultures at the biochemistry, successfully University of Arkansas, to teach a defended his doctoral dissertation chemistry lab, Isolation of DNA titled "Rotational Tuning of from Blueberries, to local middle- Transmembrane Helix Properties school students participating in Based on the Precise Placements the Sin Limites (“No Limits”): of Aromatic and Charged Latino Youth Biliteracy Project. Residues." Sin Limites, now in its 9th year, is a

Journal of Physical Chemistry B, volume 123, 2-week summer enrichment th pages 8034-8047 (Sept 26, 2019), https:// program for 5-7 grade Spanish pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b06034 heritage speakers. Sin Limites seeks to enhance the literacy of Chemistry Doctoral students in both Spanish and Student Achieves Cover English while introducing them to Feature the idea of higher education. The participants are mentored by University students to develop Doctoral student Matthew Photo Submitted reading and writing skills in their McKay, who recently defended Matt McKay home language, to gain deeper his Ph.D. dissertation, has understanding of their cultural achieved a cover feature in the Under the guidance of his adviser, heritage, and to promote Sept 26, 2019, issue of the Journal professor Roger Koeppe, McKay academic excellence. of Physical Chemistry B. With his used solid-state deuterium Senior graduate students Matt advisors, Professors Roger magnetic resonance and other Mckay and Fahmida Afrose Koeppe and Denise Greathouse, biophysical experiments to and coauthor Riqiang Fu of the characterize the interactions National High Magnetic Field Lab between peptides and lipids that at Florida State University, McKay govern the biological functions of published the article "Breaking the diverse sets of membrane pro- Backbone: Central Arginine teins, including cell signaling pro- Residues Induce Membrane Exit teins, transport proteins and oth- and Helix Distortions Within a ers. McKay has published portions Dynamic Membrane Peptide." of his work in the Biophysical Jour- Notably, McKay discovered a rare nal, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – distortion of a protein alpha-helix Biomembranes, and the Journal of to a more tightly wound 3-10 Physical Chemistry. Courtesy of ACS helix at the surface of a lipid- and incoming graduate student bilayer membrane. The work is McKay came to the University of Matthew Brownd assisted with important for understanding the Arkansas from Ursinus College in teaching the science lab in principles that undergird the Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He will Discovery Hall on Friday June 7. structures and vital functions of continue his research with a The middle-school students were the numerous proteins in cell postdoctoral appointment in introduced to laboratory skills and membranes. chemistry and biophysics at the the concept of nucleic acids are Massachusetts Institute of carriers of genetic information. Technology. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 12 The students crushed blueberries in is designed to build lasting connec- service to the Honors College.Page He 12

detergent, hot water and salt to tions between the people of the Unit- has conducted undergraduate re-

rupture the cell membranes and ed States and the people of other search with Hassan Beyzavi, assis- release the cell contents, filtered countries. The Fulbright Program is tant professor of chemistry. Azzun the mixture through coffee filters, funded through an annual appropria- plans to complete medical and doc- and precipitated the DNA with cold tion made by the U.S. Congress to toral degrees and pursue interna- ethanol. Many thanks are given to the U.S. Department of State. tional medical work. “I am incredi- Chris Mazzanti and the chemistry Participating governments and host bly excited and grateful for the op- and biochemistry department for institutions, corporations and portunity to teach American culture the use of the chemistry labs. The foundations around the world also through the Fulbright Scholarship,” program is sponsored in part by a provide direct and indirect support to Azzun said. “Diversity education in 21st Century Community Learning the program, which operates in over particular has always been a passion Center federal grant and the World 160 countries worldwide. of mine, and I cannot wait to share Languages, Literature and Cultures what I have learned during my time Department. Anthony Azzun, an honors bio- as a Razorback with students in chemistry senior with minors in Andorra.” Four University of biology, French and Spanish, will complete his English teaching Hood testing in the He lab. Arkansas Students Named assistantship in Andorra, an independ- 2019 Fulbright Scholars ent principality located between June 05, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/ France and Spain in the Pyrenees articles/48335/four-university-of-arkansas-students -named-2019-fulbright-scholars | abridged mountains.

Two University of Arkansas seniors and two graduate students have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for the upcoming academic year.

Anthony Azzun of Bolivar, Missouri; Christopher Cowan of Overland Park, Kansas; and Sarah Kou- chehbagh of Fayetteville received English teaching assistantships. Chen -Bo Fang of Little Rock received a study/research award. University Relations Anthony Azzun These four students join over 2,100 Azzun is a Toller Honors College U.S. citizens who will conduct Fellow and Presidential Scholar in the research, teach English and provide J. William Fulbright College of Arts expertise abroad for the 2019-2020 and Sciences. He has been involved academic year through the Fulbright with the Volunteer Action Center, as U.S. Student Program. Recipients of a group leader with the Conversation Fulbright awards are selected on Club and as an Honors College the basis of academic and profes- Ambassador. He has also volunteered sional achievement, as well as their in the community as a library tutor record of service and leadership through the Boys and Girls Club and potential in their respective fields. at Tri Cycle Farms. He is the recipient of the President’s Volunteer The Fulbright Program is the U.S. Service Award in recognition of his government’s flagship international community service, and the Gearhart educational exchange program and Service Award for his outstanding The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 13

Introducing Fresh Faces - Incoming Graduate Students of Fall 2019

Justin Barrett Matthew Brownd Rachel Cherry Samuel Conlin Meutia Hanafiah CEMBPH CHEMPH CHEMPH CHEMPH CEMBMS

Fernanda Hernandez Hayden Jumper Babitha Machireddy Megan Magness David May Sanchez CHEMPH CHEMPH CHEMPH CHEMPH CHEMPH

Phuc Phan Nicholas Rathke CHEMPH CHEMPH

Miranda Sanders Azedeh Tavousi CHEMPH Tabatabaei CHEMPH Fall 2019 Incoming Class of Graduate Students, The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 14

PUBLICATIONS de Freitas, Gabriela Moraes; Krisbnamurthi, Venkata Rao; Chen,

Al Faouri, Radwan; Krueger, Eric; Thomas, Julie; Liyanage, Rohana; Lay Jingyi; Wang, Yong. Silver ions Kumar, Vivek Govind; Fologea, Jr, Jackson Oliver; Basu, cause oscillation of bacterial length Daniel; Straub, David; Alismail, Supratim; Ramegowda, of Escherichia coli. Scientific Re- Hanan; Alfaori, Qusay; Kight, Alicia Venkategowda; do Amaral, Marcelo ports, AUG 13, Volume 9, DOI: D.; Ray, Jess; Henry, Ralph; Moradi, Nogueira; Benitez, Leticia Carvalho; 10.1038/s41598-019-48113-4. Mahmoud; Salamo, Gregory J. An Bolacel Braga, Eugenia Jacira; Effective Electric Dipole Model for Pereira, Andy. Cold tolerance Li, Jicun; Wang, Feng. Surface Voltage-induced Gating Mechanism response mechanisms revealed Penetration without Enrichment: of Lysenin. Scientific Reports, AUG 7 through comparative analysis of gene Simulations Show Ion Surface 2019, Volume 9, DOI 10.1038/ and protein expression in Propensities Consistent with Both s41598-019-47725-0. multiple rice genotypes. Plos One, Elevated Surface Tension and Sur- JUN 10, Volume 14, Issue 6, DOI: face Sensitive Spectroscopy. Journal Alqahtany, Meaad; Khadka, Prabhat; 10.1371/journal.pone.0218019. of Physical Chemistry B, Volume Niyonshuti, Isabelle I.; 123, Issue 33, DOI: 10.1021/ Diaz Perez, A.. K. Kougl, T. Va- Krishnamurthi, Venkata Rao; acs.jpcb.9b04424. sicek, R. Liyanage, J.O. Lay, J.A Sadoon, Asmaa A.; Challapalli, Sai Stenken, Microdialysis Sampling of Divya; Chen, Jingyi; Wang, Yong. Liang, Zhixiu; Song, Liang; Deng, Quorum Sensing during Biofilm Shiqing; Zhu, Yimei; Stavitski, Eli; Nanoscale reorganizations of histone Formation Anal. Chem. 19:91(6) -like nucleoid structuring proteins in Adzic, Radoslav R.; Chen, Jingyi; 3964-3970 (2019). [PMID: Wang, Jia X. Direct 12-Electron Escherichia coli are caused by silver 30741530] Oxidation of Ethanol on a Ternary nanoparticles. Nanotechnology, SEP 20 2019, Volume 30, Issue 38, DOI Au(core)-PtIr(Shell) Electrocatalyst. Harkey, Thomas; Kumar, Vivek Journal of the American Chemical 10.1088/1361-6528/ab2a9f. Govind; Hettige, Jeevapani; Tabari, Society, JUN 19, Volume 141, Issue Seyed Hamid; Immadisetty, Kalyan; 24, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b03474. Behnaz Shafiee, Joseph Duffield, Moradi, Mahmoud. The Role of a Rudy Timm, Rohana Liyanage, Crystallographically Unresolved Majnooni, Sahar; Duffield, Joseph; Jackson O Lay, Ahmad R Khosropour, Cytoplasmic Loop in Stabilizing the Hadi Amiri Rudbari, M Hassan Price, Jessica; Khosropour, Ahmad Bacterial Membrane Insertase YidC2. Reza; Zali-Boeini, Hassan; Beyzavi, Beyzavi. Metal-free and benign Scientific Reports, OCT 8, Volume 9, approach for the synthesis of M. Hassan. Aryliodoazide Synthons: DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51052-9. A Different Approach for Diversified dihydro-5′ H-spiro [benzo [c] chromene-8, 4′-oxazole]-5′, 6 (7 H)- Synthesis of 2-Aminothiazole, 1,3- Kerr, Rebecca; Agrawal, Shilpi; Maity, Thiazole, and 1,3-Selenazole dione scaffolds as masked amino Sanhita; Koppolu, Bhanuprasanth; acids. Green Chemistry, 21 10, 2656- Scaffolds. ACS Combinatorial Jayanthi, Srinivas; Suresh Kumar, Science, JUL, Volume 21, Issue 7, 2261 (2019). Gayatri; Gundampati, Ravi Kumar; DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.9b00045. McNabb, David S.; Zaharoff, David A.; Cafferty, Brian J.; Yuan, Li; Thallapuranam, Suresh Krishna. Baghbanzadeh, Mostafa; Rappoport, McKay, Matthew J.; Fu, Riqiang; Design of a thrombin resistant hu- Greathouse, Denise A.; Koeppe II, Dmitrij; Beyzavi, M. Hassan; man acidic fibroblast growth factor Whitesides, George M. Charge R. Erdman. Breaking the Backbone: (hFGF1) variant that exhibits Central Arginine Residues Induce Transport through Self-Assembled enhanced cell proliferation activity. Monolayers of Monoterpenoids. Membrane Exit and Helix Biochemical and biophysical research Distortions within a Dynamic Angewandte Chemie-International communications, OCT 15, Volume Edition, JUN 11, Volume 58, Issue 24, Membrane Peptide. Journal of 518, Issue 12, DOI: 10.1016/ Physical Chemistry B, SEP 26, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201902997. j.bbrc.2019.08.029. Volume 123, Issue 38, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b06034.

The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 15

Mosleh, Imann; Benamara, Mourad; Ozdemir, John; Mosleh, Imann; Complexes: Synthesis, Structural Greenlee, Lauren F.; Beyzavi, M. Abolhassani, Mojtaba; Greenlee, Characterization, and in vitro Hassan; Beitle, Jr, Lauren F.; Beitle, Robert R.; Beyzavi, Biological Assessment as Potent Robert R. Recombinant peptide M. Hassan. Covalent Organic Anticancer Agents. fusion proteins enable palladium Frameworks for the Capture, ChemPlusChem, AUG, DOI: nanoparticle growth. Materials Fixation, or Reduction of CO2. 10.1002/cplu.201900394. Letters, OCT 1, Volume 252, DOI: Frontiers in Energy Research, 10.1016/j.matlet.2019.05.080. Volume 7, DOI: 10.3389/ Scharlau, Martha; Geren, Lois M.; fenrg.2019.00077. Zhen, Eugene Y.; Ma, Ling; N. C. Rath, A. Gupta, R. Liyanage, Rajagukguk, Ray; Ferguson-Miller, and J. O. Lay, Jr.. Phorbol 12- R Al Faouri, E Krueger, V Kumar, D Shelagh; Durham, Bill; Millett, Myristate 13-Acetate-Induced Fologea, D Straub, H Alismail, Q Francis Spencer. Definition of the Changes in Chicken Enterocytes. Alfaori, A Kight, J Ray, R Henry, M Interaction Domain and Electron Proteomics Insights, 10 Moradi, and G Salamo. An Effective Transfer Route between 1178641819840369. 12 (2019) Electric Dipole Model for Voltage- Cytochrome c and Cytochrome [PMID: 31019367] induced Gating Mechanism of Oxidase. Biochemistry, OCT 8, Vol- Lysenin .Sci. Rep., 9:11440, 2019. ume 58, Issue 40, DOI: 10.1021/ Ni, Zhigang; Wang, Yuqi; Li, Wei; Pu- acs.biochem.9b00646. lay, Peter; Li, Shuhua. Analytical En- Rohana Liyanage, Jennifer Gidden, ergy Gradients for the Cluster- Charles L. Wilkins, Jackson O. Lay John B Sutherland, Fatemeh Rafii, in-Molecule MP2 Method and Its Jr. MIA-FTMS for the Analysis of Jackson O Lay Jr, Anna J Williams. Application to Geometry Lipids. Rapid Commun. Mass Spec- Rapid Analytical Methods to Identi- Optimizations of Large Systems. trom., 1-10 (2019) DOI: 10.10002/ fy Antibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria in Journal of Chemical Theory and rcm.8349. Antibiotic Drug Resistance, Jose- Computation, JUN, Volume 15, Issue Luis Capelo-Martinez and Gilberto 6, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00259. Sahib, Seaab; Tian, Z. Ryan; Niu, Igrejas eds., John Wiley & Sons, pp Feng; Sharma, Aruna; Feng, 533-566 (2019). Niu, Chaojiang; Lee, Hongkyung; Lianyuan; Muresanu, Dafin Fior; Chen, Shuru; Li, Qiuyan; Du, Jason; Nozari, Ala; Sharma, Hari Shanker. Thapa, Rajesh; Kilyanek, Stefan Xu, Wu; Zhang, Ji-Guang; Potentiation of spinal cord Michael. Synthesis and structural Whittingham, M. Stanley;Xiao, Jie; conduction and neuroprotection characterization of 20-membered Liu, Jun. High-energy lithium metal following nanodelivery of macrocyclic rings bearing pouch cells with limited anode DL-3-n-butylphthalide in titanium trans-chelating bis(N-heterocyclic swelling and long stable cycles. implanted nanomaterial in a focal carbene) ligands and the catalytic Nature Energy, JUL, Volume 4, Issue spinal cord injury induced functional activity of their palladium(ii) 7, DOI: 10.1038/s41560-019-0390-6. outcome, blood-spinal cord barrier Complexes. Dalton Transactions, breakdown and edema formation. SEP 7, Volume 48, Issue 33, DOI: Nur, Tazima; Gautam, Shree Hari; International review of 10.1039/c9dt02147g. Stenken, Julie Ann; Shew, Woodrow neurobiology, Volume 146, DOI: L. Probing spatial inhomogeneity of 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.06.009. Tran, Randy; Kilyanek, Stefan M. cholinergic changes in cortical state Deoxydehydration of Polyols in rat. Scientific Reports, JUN 28, Sakamaki, Yoshie; Ahmadi Catalyzed by a Molybdenum Di-oxo Volume 9, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019 Mirsadeghi, Hasti; Ferei- -Complex Supported by a Dianionic -45826-4. doonnezhad, Masood; Mirzaei, ONO Pincer Ligand. Dalton Trans- Faezeh; Moghimi Dehkordi, Zahra; actions, NOV 21, Volume 48, Issue Chamyani, Samira; Alshami, Mia; 43, DOI: 10.1039/C9DT03759D. Abedanzadeh, Sedigheh; Shahsavari, Hamid R.; Beyzavi, M. Hassan. trans-Platinum(II) Thionate The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 16

Venkat, Sumana; Chen, Hao; Health care leaders in the state McGuire, Paige; Stahman, Alleigh; sought a productive way to dis- Gan, Qinglei; Fan, Chenguang. perse the state's share of the set- Characterizing lysine acetylation of tlement. The Arkansas Biosciences Escherichia coli type II citrate Institute was created as a conduit synthase. FEBS journal, JUL, Vol- for research that could help reduce or prevent smoking-related ume 286, Issue 14, DOI: 10.1111/ illnesses. febs.14845.

Chieko Hara, University Relations Arkansas voters endorsed the Zamani, Parisa; Phipps, Joshua; Hu, From left, Dan Sui, vice chancellor for proposed Tobacco Settlement Jiyun; Heema, Faizan C.; Rudbari, research and innovation; Roger Koeppe, Distinguished Professor of chemistry and Proceeds Act of 2000, and the Hadi Amiri; Bordbar, Abdol- biochemistry; and Robert "Bobby" Arkansas Legislature enacted the Khalegh; Khosropour, Ahmad R.; McGehee, executive director of Arkansas provisions of that proposal as Acts Beyzavi, M. Hassan. Multicompo- Biosciences Institute and dean at UAMS 1569 through 1580 of 2001. Part of nent Synthesis of Diversified Graduate School that legislation established the Chromeno[3,2-d]oxazoles. ACS As the U of A's institutional director institute as a consortium of five Combinatorial Science, AUG, Vol- and ABI representative for 11 years, research institutions: the ume 21, Issue 8, DOI: 10.1021/ Roger Koeppe, Distinguished University of Arkansas, the acscombsci.9b00084. Professor of chemistry and University of Arkansas System biochemistry, helped many col- Division of Agriculture, the leagues secure funding from the in- University of Arkansas for Medical Koeppe Recognized for stitute. Sciences, Arkansas State University and Arkansas Children's Hospital. Service as ABI Koeppe was recognized for his Institutional Director at service Thursday during a faculty Since ABI's beginning, scientists at University of Arkansas town hall meeting to discuss future these institutions have focused on Dec. 09, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/ funding priorities and strategies of biomedical and agricultural articles/51774/koeppe-recognized-for-service-as- the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. research with medical implications. abi-institutional-director-at-university-of- The meeting was hosted by Dan Sui, arkansas vice chancellor for research and Robert "Bobby" McGehee, Science and engineering innovation. executive director of the Arkansas researchers at the University of Biosciences Institute and dean at Arkansas use research awards "ABI funds have made a huge University of Arkansas for Medical from the Arkansas Biosciences difference on this campus, certainly Sciences Graduate School, also Institute to improve the health of in terms of biosciences research, but recognized Koeppe during Arkansans and prevent smoking- also as leverage to attract and Thursday's meeting. He and related illnesses. recruit top investigators," Sui said. Koeppe served together for more "Obviously, Roger has been than a decade. Seed funding from the institute, a responsible for so much its success statewide consortium consisting of on this campus, and we want to McGehee said Arkansas is one of five research institutions, often recognize his enormous only two states that uses all of its enables researchers to produce contribution." tobacco settlement money for preliminary results that help them heath initiatives and healthcare and the university compete for Earlier this semester, Chancellor Joe research. Sui said the university large grants from federal agencies, Steinmetz appointed Sui to serve as will continue to use ABI funds to such as the National Science Foun- the new ABI institutional director. make new strategic investments in dation and the National Institutes The Arkansas Biosciences biosciences research. of Health. Institute was established as a result of Arkansas' share of the 1998 nationwide tobacco settlement.

The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 17

On the Go Honors, Accomplish- Department Announces ments & Awards New Faculty Paul Adams (invited) Sep. 13, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/ Biochemical and Biophysical Paul Adams articles/49940/department-of-chemistry-and- Approaches to Characterize the biochemistry-announces-new-faculty Honored as a Minority Access Molecular Basis of Abnormal Cell National Role Model in the Signaling Function Involving category of Research Faculty. Ras-Related Proteins Please see page 20 for more details. Maggie He University of Arkansas, Fayetteville joined the Faculty Speaker for the Fall 2019 T.K.S. Kumar Department Arkansas Biosciences Institute Appointed to Editorial Board of the of Chemistry Research Symposium. Journal of Biological Chemistry and Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, (JBC) for a second term from Biochemistry AR September 25, 2019 September 19 , 2019 to December as an 31, 2024. JBC is the Official Journal assistant Peter Pulay of the American Society of professor in Keynote Talk at the Southwest Biochemistry and Molecular Biology August 2019. Theoretical and Computational (ASBM.) It is one of the oldest Chemistry 2019 meeting journals in the field with its first (SWTCC2019), Oct. 25-27, 2019 University Relations publication dated 1905. Maggie He

Joshua Sakon, Perry Caviness Peter Pulay She received her Ph.D. in chemistry Structure and function of ColH from Elected to the Honorary Board of from ETH Zurich, M.S. in chemistry Hathewaya histolytica. the International Society for from the University of Pennsylvania, Gordon Research Conference- Theoretical Chemical Physics at the and B.S. from the City College of Collagen Norwegian meeting of the Society. New York. Before joining the New London, NH, July 15-July19, The board has now 19 members, University of Arkansas, she was a 2019 including two Nobel prize winners, Swiss National Science Foundation and professors or former postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts Joshua Sakon, Cody Brazel professors from Oxford, Institute of Technology. Structure and function of ColG from Cambridge, Harvard, Jerusalem, Cal Hathewaya histolytica. He's research interests span the Gordon Research Conference- Tech, Berkeley, and now the University of Arkansas. areas of organic chemistry and Collagen materials chemistry. She is New London, NH, July 15-July19, Peter Pulay interested in dynamic covalent 2019 Invited to write a Perspective chemistry, adaptive molecules, review article for Physical Chemistry functionalization and applications of Joshua Sakon (invited) Chemical Physics, the European carbon nanomaterials, and Structure and function of physical chemistry journal, by the development of carbon nanotube- collagenases from Hathewaya Royal Society of Chemistry. based sensors. Her research has histolytica. resulted in 10 journal publications, 27 invited seminars and conference VitaCyte Charles Wilkins presentations, and two patents. Indianapolis, IN, July 23-July24, 2019 Selected as one of the top 100 Analytical Chemistry Scientists by Joshua Sakon (invited) the journal The Analytical Scientist He is excited to launch her Structure and function of (October, 2019.) See more details on Interdisciplinary research program in functional materials and sensors and collagenases from Hathewaya page 19. histolytica. the chemistry and biochemistry Nippi, Inc. department is excited to have her Toride, Ibaraki, Japan July 29, 2019 on the team.

The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 18 Study Shows Limitations of Method for Moradi and Harkey’s simulations demonstrated that YidC2’s Determining Protein cytoplasmic loop stabilized the Structure entire protein, particularly the Matt McGowan | Oct 8, 2019 | Research News | C1 region, a potentially im- https://researchfrontiers.uark.edu/study-shows- limitations-of-method-for-determining-protein- portant area for drug design. structure/ Highly polar or charged lipid survival and normal function of the headgroups interacted with and A new study by chemists at the cell because any disorder in protein stabilized the loop. This finding University of Arkansas shows that function can result in disease. demonstrated that unresolved X-ray crystallography, the standard loops of membrane proteins method for determining the The study of protein function is could be important for the stabi- structure of proteins, can provide necessary for understanding the lization of proteins, despite the inaccurate information about a molecular basis of disease. To do apparent lack of molecular critical set of proteins – those found this, researchers have relied on X- structure. in cell membranes – which in turn ray crystallography, the primary tool could be leading to poor and for determining the shape and “Typically, if part of a protein is inefficient drug design. structure of proteins. X-ray not resolved in X-ray crystallog- crystallography is also essential for raphy, it is interpreted as lacking “Two-thirds of all drugs, including the purpose of designing drugs that a particular structure,” Moradi those used for chemotherapy, target efficiently manipulate the function of said. “We show that for mem- proteins found on cell membranes,” proteins. However, the study of brane proteins and particularly said Mahmoud Moradi, assistant membrane protein structure is parts of the protein that interact professor of chemistry and bio- difficult because their native with the cell membrane, this chemistry in the J. William Fulbright environment is not compatible with interpretation is not accurate and College of Arts and Sciences. X-ray crystallography. Researchers could be misleading. We think must remove the proteins from their that the alternative explanation “Unfortunately, X-ray native environment and place them for the disorder could be that crystallography, the gold standard in an artificial lipid environment the protein is not studied in its for determining the structure of before applying the technique. native membrane environment.” proteins, has many limitations when dealing with those found in the Moradi and Thomas Harkey – an Moradi said their results also cellular membrane. Our work undergraduate student at the time demonstrated that computational exposes, and in many ways, explains and now a medical student at the chemistry and supercomputing these limitations.” University of Arkansas for Medical technology can be used to model Sciences – addressed this problem membrane proteins more Considered the workhorse from a different angle. For roughly accurately in an environment that molecules of cells, proteins are two years, they used a super- mimics their physiological responsible for nearly every task in computer at the Arkansas High environment. living systems. Some proteins live Performance Computing Center to inside cells, and some reside on the run continuous, microsecond-level cell’s membrane, an outer layer of computations simulating the lipids that separates the cell from its molecular dynamics of YidC2, a external environment. Membrane membrane protein with a proteins are critically important crystallographically unresolved because they regulate the exchange cytoplasmic loop in its molecular of information and materials structure. Cytoplasmic loops are between the cell and its known to have functional environment, a vital task for significance in membrane proteins. University Relations Mahmoud Moradi The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 19

usability and portability, and the The Power and The has led me in a number of novel application of artificial intelligence directions in my research life. Passion: The Power List and automation. Increasingly,

2019 highlights the instrumentation is moving away strengths of analytical from labs and into the real world. science – and the What’s more, the continuous streamlining of the analytical community behind it process means that these Matthew Hallam | 10/17/2019 | Opinion | https:// theanalyticalscientist.com/business-education/the increasingly portable technologies -power-and-the-passion are providing data that can be interpreted and used in record The Power List 2019 has landed – time. a celebration of the top 100 most influential figures in analytical Of course, all of these endeavors science. feed into a single end goal (likely the University Relations reason we were drawn to science Charles Wilkins Curating the list (collecting the first place): to understand our nominations received from across universe and improve lives. For Research Associate the globe, working closely with our analytical scientists, this mission can Professor Denise judging panel, and corresponding take many paths – medicine, Greathouse, Ph.D., Retires with all 100 nominees) has been a agriculture, technology, space lengthy process – but also a exploration, and many more – but, privilege. Few fields are supported whichever direction we choose, we Research Associate Professor by a workforce that can lay claim rarely have to walk alone, instead Denise Greathouse, Ph.D., to the level of dedication and working within increasingly diverse, retired on October 4, 2019 after 31 passion that our community passionate and motivated teams. I’m years of dedicated service to the exudes. Whether speaking of sure Ljiljana Paša-Tolić isn’t the only Department of Chemistry and fundamentals or applications, one that would say they love “being Biochemistry and the University of biology, the environment or part of this great community.” Arkansas. During this entire period, beyond, it’s clear to see that Overall, there are many lessons to Dr. Greathouse has been the immersion in this field is closely be learned from the Power List, but mainstay and leading expert for tied to a real belief in its purpose. they can be simply summarized for And that’s likely why the field is so the entire analytical community: highly connected – and brimming we’re a busy bunch and we love with positivity. As Paul Bohn notes, what we do. we have “terrific colleagues all over the world,” and this Charles Wilkins, distinguished translates not only into prime professor of chemistry and opportunities for enjoyable and bio-chemistry in the J. William fruitful collaboration, but also into Fulbright College of Arts and a tightly knit network of support Sciences, was named to the list in that helps propel each of us October 2019. forward to tackle the problems ahead. Career highlight: Development of the first Fourier Transform Ion To thrive, we must move with the Cyclotron Resonance mass University Relations times; as such, to quote Caroline spectrometer, which played a key Denise Greathouse West, analytical chemistry is “a role in commercialization of the dynamic science that changes technique. peptide synthesis on the Fayetteville rapidly.” The perpetual progress in campus. Along with Roger Koeppe, our field is highlighted by advances Best advice received: To explore new she designed a number of useful in instrument miniaturization, areas that others have not – this model helical peptides that span lipid- bilayer membranes and facilitated solid The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 20

-state deuterium NMR methods for field in order to find cures for the characterizing the biophysical prop- illnesses that disproportionately erties of such transmembrane heli- affect minorities ces. (www.minorityaccess.org.)

With her multiple talents, Denise Minority Access is convinced that it fulfilled multiple roles, effectively can help simply by parading before “wearing many hats.” Denise its vast network of high-performing worked closely with students, served young people, real, live, believable as co-PI for several National Science role models. Foundation grants and coauthored more than 70 research articles. Paul Adams received this award during the Twentieth National Role Her teaching, advising, mentoring Models Conference, held and supervising skills have been September 26 – 29, 2019 in University Relations Washington D.C. In addition to invaluable for chemistry majors and Paul Adams pre-medical students, including receiving the award, Adams also numerous honors students and The White House Office of Science participated in a panel session on graduate students, not to mention and Technology warns that if mentoring. her service to Arkansas INBRE, Sin America is to sustain its remarkable Limites outreach program, Howard growth based on technology, it Committee on Chemists must increase the flow of young Hughes Medical Institute, and as with Disabilities debuts “unofficial” department photo- people - including minorities - into grapher. sciences. The National Institutes of accessible periodic table Health warns that if we are to Maria T. Dulay | https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/ meetings/Committee-Chemists-Disabilities-debuts When the need was there, Denise reduce the disparities that are -accessible/97/i36 | Chemical & Engineering News would step up to the plate. While currently great between the health | ISSN 0009-2347 | Copyright © 2019 American her service will be missed, we will of minorities and that of the general Chemical Society

look forward to seeing Denise population, we must increase the At the American Chemical Society Greathouse back in the Chemistry flow of relevant researchers Fall 2019 National Meeting in San Building from time to time. entering the biomedical research Diego, the ACS Committee on

Members of the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities, including the Adams receives Minority U of A’s own Dr. Stefan Kilyanek, pose with the periodic table. Access National Role Model in the category of Research Faculty honor

This prestigious award recognizes inspirational Role Models in various categories to inspire others to emulate them, and thereby increase the pool of scholars and profession- als who will find cures for illnesses or solve technological problems or address social disparities in society.

Distinguished Role Model honorees are assembled not for self-adulation but rather as a part of a well- designed developmental strategy. Courtesy of Maria Dulay The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 21 Chemists with Disabilities displayed its potential as a source for electri- Chen’s method of depositing an accessible periodic table that fea- cal energy has previously been platinum and iridium formed tured braille and sign language 3-D blocked by the carbon-carbon bond “monoatomic islands” across the printed onto every element tile. The that forms the ethanol molecule. surface of the gold nanoparticles. project celebrates the International These islands broke the carbon- Year of the Periodic Table and carbon bonds in the ethanol acknowledges the scientists with disa- molecules, while initially leaving bilities who have contributed to the hydrogen atoms attached to creation of the periodic table since prevent the formation of catalyst its discovery 150 years ago by Dmitri -poisoning carbon monoxide, and Mendeleev. thus facilitating complete oxida-

tion and release of the liquid Many attendees visited the display, fuel’s stored energy. including Sir Martyn Poliakoff, known

for The Periodic Table of Videos. The The catalyst could enable the periodic table was created as part of practical use of ethanol fuel cells a yearlong collaboration with as a high-energy, high-density students from Michigan State source of electrical power, inde- University’s K–12 science, pendent of the power grid. Com- technology, engineering, and University Relations pared to batteries, ethanol fuel mathematics (STEM) program in Jingyi Chen cells are lightweight and can pro- Midland and with funding from Dow. vide sufficient power to operate Chen and the Brookhaven small vehicles, such as drones. The letter symbols that easily identify researchers used a process called

the elements were intentionally electro-oxidation, through which The team was led by Jia Wang, a absent from each tile to simulate the they discovered the ideal chemical Brookhaven Lab chemist, and challenges that a person with a pathway to break the carbon bonds included Chen and Zhixiu Liang, disability may encounter in accessing and release more electrons. a graduate student from Stony the table. “People with disabilities are Brook University. people with abilities,” said Adeleye As a visiting scientist at

Okewole, an educator from Nigeria Brookhaven, Chen developed a syn- The researchers’ findings were who visited the display. thesis method to make the core- published in the Journal of the shell catalyst by depositing platinum American Chemical Society. and iridium on gold nanoparticles, Researchers Build Catalyst which is the key to the new cata- to Generate Electrical lyst’s performance. Fulbright College Energy From Ethanol Announces 2019 Annual June 12, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/articles/48370/ researchers-build-catalyst-to-generate-electrical-energy Faculty Teaching and -from-ethanol? utm_source=Newswire&utm_medium=email2019-06- Research Awards 12&utm_campaign=researchers-build-catalyst-to- June 13, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/ generate-electrical-energy-from-ethanol | abridged articles/48372/fulbright-college-announces- 2019-annual-faculty-teaching-and-research- Jingyi Chen, associate professor of awards | abridged chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas, worked with The J. William Fulbright College scientists at the U.S. Department of of Arts and Sciences at the Energy’s Brookhaven National University of Arkansas has Laboratory to develop a highly efficient named the 2019 winners of its catalyst for generating electrical energy annual teaching and research fac- from ethanol. Ethanol is an easy-to- ulty awards. The recipients were store liquid fuel that can be produced each selected for their demon- from renewable resources. However, strated excellence in these areas. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 22 chemical processes in any materi- FULBRIGHT COLLEGE MASTER Coridan to Receive Early al we place there,” Coridan said. RESEARCHER AWARD Career Award From U.S. The honor is awarded to up to three The goal of this research is to outstanding researchers. Awardees Department of Energy Aug. 02, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/ devise easy-to-fabricate and scal- are chosen based on a nomination articles/49587/coridan-to-receive-early-career- able nanostructures that maxim- letter, the nominee's research award-from-u-s-department-of-energy ize a material's ability to convert accomplishments documented in a the sun’s energy into chemical one-page summary of his or her The U.S. Department of Energy bonds, or fuels, a process similar research outlining its importance, a announced today that Robert to photosynthesis in plants. list of 10 publications, supporting Coridan, assistant professor of

evidence of exceptional performance chemistry and bio-chemistry, will The Department of Energy’s in research, his or her curriculum receive an Early Career Research Office of Science selected 73 vitae and an evaluation by the Award for his work on improving scientists from across the nation departmental chairperson. the efficiency of chemical reactions that convert solar energy into to receive significant funding for chemical fuels. Coridan will receive research as part of department’s $750,000 over five years. Early Career Research Program. To be eligible for the department award, researchers must be untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professors at a U.S. academic institution or a full-time employee at the department’s national laboratory who received a doctorate within the past 10 years. Research topics are required to fall within one of the department's Office of Science's University Relations six major program offices: Feng Wang

•Advanced Scientific Computing Feng "Seymour" Wang, Research professor of chemistry in University Relations •Basic Energy Sciences the Department of Chemistry and Rob Coridan Biochemistry, whom his department •Biological and Environmental chair, Wesley A. Stites, described as The award will enable his research Research a rising star in theoretical chemistry team to focus efforts on the optical •Fusion Energy Sciences who "will continue to do great things and photochemical properties of •High Energy Physics that advance chemical understanding defects in randomly distributed films •Nuclear Physics at a fundamental level and that will of nanosphere colloids — nano- also have the practical effect of mak- scopic glass and plastic beads. With Awardees were selected from a ing our lives better." a better understanding of these large pool of applicants based at Wang is a recipient of the largest properties, the researchers can de- universities and national individual investigator award given by sign scalable structured materials to laboratories. Selection was based the National Institutes of Health, an increase the efficiency of light ab- on peer review by outside R-01 grant. Stites added, "The fact sorption that drives fuel-forming scientific experts. Projects that he has been funded by both the chemical reactions. announced today are selections NIH and the National Science Foun- for negotiation of financial award. dation … shows that he is tackling “The hope is that we can choose The final details for each project not just questions of purely intellec- the correct combinations of colloids award are subject to final grant tual interest, but problems with like- to get structures that form light- and contract negotiations ly impact on human health." trapping cavities, thus amplifying the between DOE and the awardees. intensity of light and rate of photo- The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 23

University of Arkansas Named to Alliance Aimed at Diversifying STEM Faculty Nov. 13, 2019 | https://news.uark.edu/articles/50583/ university-of-arkansas-named-to-alliance-aimed-at- diversifying-stem-faculty

The University of Arkansas is one of 20 public research universities added to a collaborative coalition aimed at enhancing faculty diversity and implementing inclusive practices in the STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Through "Aspire: The National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse Photo Submitted STEM Faculty," the U of A will conduct Paul Adams, associate professor of biochemistry, works with a student an extensive self-assessment process to researcher. inform the creation of a three-year Universities and the Center for the Task force members are: action plan that will develop additional Integration of Research, Teaching, • Jim Coleman, provost and policies and procedures to drive and Learning at the University of executive vice chancellor for recruitment, hiring and retention of Wisconsin-Madison. The U of A academic affairs diverse STEM faculty while supporting was part of the second cohort add- • Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice inclusive teaching, advising and ed to the alliance, which now totals chancellor for diversity and Inclu- research mentoring. 35 schools. sion

• Kathryn Sloan, vice provost for "We are thrilled to be involved with Additionally, the program will connect faculty affairs this important initiative that will the U of A with resources and services • Kim Nedy, dean of the to assist in the plan's implementation, build on our efforts to recruit, retain and develop quality faculty Graduate School and International including access to dozens of profes- Education sional organizations, assessment tools from all walks of life, in addition to John English, dean of the and models, funding opportunities and supporting inclusive practices on • College of Engineering a leadership academy. our campus," said Jim Coleman, provost and executive vice chancel- • Anna Zajicek, associate dean in "This alliance will be transformative for lor for academic affairs. "Further the J. William Fulbright College of our campus and is the latest in a port- diversifying our STEM faculty will Arts and Sciences and chair in the folio of strategies we've developed to lead to greater diversity among our Department of Sociology greater diversify our faculty ranks," said students in these fields, bringing • Heather Nachtmann, associate Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice chancellor new perspectives that will enhance dean for research in the College of for diversity and inclusion. "The action our work. The Chancellor and I are Engineering and professor of plan we will form through'Aspire' will extremely supportive of this effort industrial engineering have ripple effects across our entire and look forward to working with • Debbie McLoud, associate vice campus, helping us identify additional our campus and other institutions chancellor for administration and strengths and opportunities while vali- as part of this alliance." director of employee services dating strategies that we can imple- • Matt McIntosh, vice chair of ment across all our campus units." A 15-member task force the Department of Chemistry and comprised of university Biochemistry administrators and faculty The effort is funded by the National • Marcia Shobe, senior research members will help drive the Science Foundation and co-led by the fellow in the Office for Diversity effort on campus. Association of Public and Land-grant and Inclusion The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 24

• Christa Hestekin, associate University of California Santa Cruz. geographic distribution of NIH professor and holder of the Ansel The schedule included invited faculty funding for biomedical and behav- and Virginia Condray Endowed and student speakers, a poster ioral research. Professorship in Chemical session and a dinner before the Engineering keynote address. Students competed Currently NIGMS supports • Beth Kegley, professor and in both oral and poster competi- INBRE programs in 23 states and elected president of the American tions. A complete list of award Puerto Rico. The Arkansas INBRE Society of Animal Science winners can be viewed at builds on the successful Arkansas https://inbre.uark.edu/. Biomedical Research Infrastruc- • Timothy Kral, professor of ture Network (BRIN) program biological sciences The Arkansas INBRE Research that was established in 2001 under • Robert Pilgrim, administrative Conference is sponsored by a grant from NCRR. The Arkansas data manager in the Office for Arkansas INBRE and is hosted by BRIN established a statewide net- Research Support and Sponsored the departments of biological work that links Arkansas institu- Programs sciences, physics, and chemistry and tions of higher education to estab- • Kevin Brady, associate professor biochemistry, Fulbright College of lish and maintain a statewide infra- of educational leadership, curriculum Arts and Sciences, University of structure in support of growing and instruction Arkansas. efforts to build capacity for biomedical research in Arkansas. "Provost Coleman, Dr. Murphy-Erby The Arkansas IDeA Network of and I are very excited to be working Biomedical Research Excellence The Arkansas INBRE Research with such a talented and experienced (Arkansas INBRE) is funded by a Conference is sponsored by task force for this important pro- grant from the National Institute of Arkansas INBRE and is hosted by ject," said Shobe, who is also the General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the departments of biological faculty lead for the program at the U under the Institutional Development sciences, physics, and chemistry of A. "Team members comprise Award (IDeA) Program of the and biochemistry, Fulbright Col- leaders at the university in STEM, National Institutes of Health (NIH). lege of Arts and Sciences, Univer- human resources, research analytics, The IDeA program was established sity of Arkansas. This year’s Con- and the Faculty Senate, all of whom for the purpose of broadening the ference will be Nov. 6-7, 2020. are prepared to effect STEM culture change in recruitment, hire and retention policies and practices and to enhance STEM teaching, research and service initiatives."

INBRE Conference 2019

The Arkansas INBRE Research Conference was held in Fayetteville, AR on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26. The conference gives undergraduate students from Arkansas and regional colleges the opportunity to present their research. Twenty-six institutions and over 400 individuals participate annually.

Networking, recruiting, and building collaborations are all aspects of this

event. The keynote speaker this year Denise Greathouse

was Dr. Carrie Partch of the Award winners present for the awards ceremony. The Mole Street Journal Volume 18, Issue 4 Page 25

Denise Greathouse, University of Arkansas Research Associate Professor Emeritus

Arkansas INBRE Research Conference registration, recruiting, networking, and presentations. Center Photo is keynote speaker, Dr. Carrie Partch—UC Santa Cruz. Excellence in the Central Science

THE MOLE STREET JOURNAL IS AN Calendar of Events INTERNAL PUBLICATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEPARTMENT SEMINAR | 3:30PM | CHEM 144 CHEMISTRY AND February 24 | Martin Head-Gordon, University of California Berkeley | Pulay Lecture BIOCHEMISTRY March 02 | Tadhg P. Begley, Texas A&M University | Fry Lecture March 09 | Joshua Snyder, Drexel University MATT MCINTOSH, DEPT CHAIR March 16 | Weitao Wang, Duke University HEATHER JORGENSEN, March 30 | Neil S. Ostlund, University of Florida EDITOR April 06 | Sarah Goforth and Carol Reeves, University of Arkansas April 13 | Jay Unruh, University of Kansas CHEM 119 April 20 Gregory Dudley, West Virginia University 1 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 February 17 | Biophysical Society Meeting

479.575.4601 April 27 | Honors & Majors Day [email protected] May 17—July 24 | NSF REU PROGRAM

The department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas strives for excellence in research, teaching and service in chemistry - the central science. We aspire to positions of leadership regarding the discovery of new scientific knowledge, the training of chemistry.uark.edu students, and the economic development of the State of Arkansas. We seek to recruit and

Department of Chemistry retain a diverse group of the best faculty, students and staff to address the challenges of the and Biochemistry * future through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and education. University of Arkansas Lab Safety Tip: General Safety Tip: by Chris Mazzanti Hygiene means more than brushing your We know to check glassware for teeth and bathing - Hygiene is a noun MAHSA’S cracks and stars before heating but meaning conditions or practices MIRTH you should also check the surface conducive to maintaining health and of hot plates as well; they will preventing disease, especially through break if there are defects in the cleanliness. Please dispose of your surface - the same as glassware. food waste and other trash appropriately.

CHBC Library | CHEM 225 Library Hours libinfo.uark.edu/chemistry

Saturday - Sunday CLOSED Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 9:00pm Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm

Closed on all University Holidays : January 20, March 23-27.

The chemistry and biochemistry library resources can be accessed in the following LibGuides: http:// uark.libguides.com/content.php?pid=110953. Theses and dissertation resources can be found on the following LibGuides: http://uark.libguides.com/content.php? pid=123035 &sid=1057466. For more information: Check the Libraries’ web site - libinfo.uark.edu - for updated information on hours and services. Library hours are also available by dialing 479-575-2557.