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E N O A E S S S L T A E A C R C I N S M S E E H C C TI N O CA April 2019 Vol. XCVII, No.8 N • AMERI

Monthly Meeting

2019 Esselen Award to Carolyn R. Bertozzi at Harvard University 2018 Richards Medal Address

By Chad A. Mirkin How to Allocate Resources to Intellectual Property as a Start-Up

By Katherine Ann Rubino 2019 NESACS Candidates for Election 2018 Richards Medal Address Rational Vaccinology: In Pursuit of the Perfect Vaccine By Chad A. Mirkin, Northwestern University The field of nanomedicine, broadly defined, uses concepts and tools in nanoscience to develop new ways of tracking and treating disease and making and delivering drugs. In this talk, I focus on one exciting class of nanostructures - spherical nu- cleic acids, or SNAs - that organize nucleic acids into densely packed and highly oriented three-dimensional forms not seen in (Figure 1).1 SNAs are highly potent gene regulation agents and components of innovative vaccines and cancer im- munotherapies.2-5 The reason this field is so important and garners such broad scientific interest is because nanostructures have en- abling properties as a result of their size, shape, and compo- sition. In the field of nanotechnology, size is often the focus; but, when compared to the size of small molecules, which have been the primary basis for drugs for decades, nanostruc- tures are actually relatively large. This issue of size is impor- tant for two reasons. First, a general tenet of nanotechnology is that when bulk materials are miniaturized to the nanoscale, they take on new properties even if the “large” and “small” materials are compositionally identical. These emergent prop- erties have driven immense technological development, espe- Fig. 1: Schematic of a SNA with a liposomal core surrounded by a dense cially in molecular diagnostics, imaging, and cellular studies shell of highly oriented nucleic acids and assays. They are also beginning to influence the way attacked in many different ways. With gene regulation or medicines are developed. Many nanostructures are inherently knock-down strategies, such as those based on anti-sense and modular (multi-component) and lend themselves to multifunc- siRNA, one can use nucleic acid medicines to interfere with tionality, something not easily achieved with small molecules. nucleic acid signatures that produce too much of a particular In addition, because they are on the same length scale as many protein associated with a given disease. By regulating protein sub-cellular components that are responsible for trafficking expression, a cell can be transformed from a diseased to a medicines, they can easily interface with them. healthy one or, in the case of cancer, cause a diseased cell to Nanotechnology is rapidly accelerating the development selectively die or be sensitized towards treatment with of nucleic acid therapeutics by enabling key challenges to be chemotherapeutics. However, the opportunities are far greater. overcome that are allowing us to realize the long-standing Through studies of viral and bacterial disease, we now know dream of creating medicines that can target any disease with specific DNA and RNA signatures that can be utilized to stim- a known genetic basis. Let us consider conventional nucleic ulate or suppress the immune system. Therefore, in the lab, acid medicines. Just 15 years ago, small molecule drugs dom- we can synthesize DNA or RNA molecules, that if delivered inated the top 10 list of the most prescribed drugs.6 Today, 7 appropriately, can regulate the immune system to treat disease, of the top 10 most prescribed drugs are biologics — a remark- including many forms of cancer and autoimmune diseases. able shift in a relatively short period of time.7 While it is clear With all of these advantages, one might ask why nucleic that the field of medicine has overwhelmingly transitioned acid medicines, which have been around for 30 years, are not from small molecules to biologics, many people, including widely used already. Initially, researchers were extremely ex- myself, believe that the next wave, and perhaps the most cited, but quickly realized that a number of key requirements promising one, will be the era of nucleic acid medicines. The had to be addressed before such drugs could be successfully reasons are straightforward. First, with nucleic acid medicines, implemented. First, there had to be ways to make nucleic acid disease can be treated at its genetic roots, and we now know medicines at a reasonable cost – it turns out that this is no many of the genetic origins of disease. Second, once one de- longer a problem, and we can now make large quantities of velops one type of drug, another one can be prepared by sim- nucleic acid medicines at pharmaceutical scale. Second, bio- ply changing the sequence of the nucleic acid (the logical pathways through which nucleic acid medicines can identification and synthesis of a whole new molecule is not function must be thoroughly understood – this, also, is no required). This means that the timeline required for drug de- longer a limiting factor. Through the Human Genome Project velopment will be significantly shortened, an exciting and mass sequencing, we now understand and can regulate prospect because much of the cost lies in that process. Another many of the relevant pathways for a wide variety of disease attractive aspect of nucleic acid drugs is that disease can be continued on page 6

2 The Nucleus April 2019 The Northeastern Section of the American- Chemical Society, Inc. Contents Office: Anna Singer, 12 Corcoran Road, Burlington, MA 01803 (Voice or FAX) (781) 272-1966. 2018 Richards Medal Adress 2 e-mail: [email protected] ______NESACS Homepage: http://www.NESACS.org Rational Vaccinology: In Pursuit of the Perfect Vaccine Officers 2019 By Chad A. Mirkin, Northwestern University Chair Andrew Scholte How to Allocate Resources to Intellectual Property as a Start-Up 4 Sanofi-Genzyme 153 2nd Ave By Katherine Ann Rubino Waltham, MA 02451-1122 [email protected] Chair-Elect Monthly Meeting 5 Anna W. Sromek ______115 Mill Street, 2019 Esselen Award Meeting at Harvard Faculty Club, Carolyn R. Belmont, MA 02478 Bertozzi to receive award and speak on Chemical Approaches to Problems [email protected] Immediate Past Chair in Global Health Mindy Levine 35 Cottage St Gustavus John Esselen Award 8 Sharon, MA 02067-2130 ______(516)697-9688 List of Prior Recipients [email protected] Secretary Michael Singer 2019 NESACS Candidates for Election 9 MilliporeSigma ______400 Summit Drive, Burlington, MA 01803 (781)-229-7037, Business Directory 10 [email protected] ______Treasurer Ashis Saha Seminar Calendar 12 67 Bow St ______Arlington, MA 02474-2744 (978)212-5462 Cover: [email protected] 2019 Esselen Award recipient, Professor Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Stanford Archivist University (Photo Courtesy of Prof. Bertozzi). Ken Mattes Trustees Editorial Deadlines: Dorothy Phillips, Ruth Tanner, Peter C. Meltzer May 2019 Issue: March 22, 2019 Directors-at-Large Summer-September 2019 Issue: July 22, 2019 David Harris, June Lum, Michael P. Filosa, John M. Burke, James U. Piper, Ralph Scannell Councilors/Alternate Councilors Term Ends 12/31/2019 Thomas R. Gilbert Mary A. Mahaney Mary Jane Shultz Jerry P. Jasinski Michael Singer Matthew M. Jacobsen Lisa Marcaurelle Ajay Purohit Leland L. Johnson, Jr. Hicham Fenniri Term Ends 12/31/2020 Michael P. Filosa Sonja Strah-Pleynet Carol Mulrooney Patrick M. Gordon Patricia A. Mabrouk Patrick Cappillino The Nucleus is published monthly, except June and August, by the Northeastern Section of the American Anna Sromek Raj (SB) Rajur Chemical Society, Inc. Forms close for advertising on the 1st of the month of the preceding issue. Text A. Santos Ashis Saha must be received by the editor six weeks before the date of issue. Term Ends 12/31/2021 Editor: Michael P. Filosa, Ph.D., 18 Tamarack Road, Medfield, MA 02052 Email: Catherine E. Costello Kenneth Mattes Ruth Tanner Joshua Sacher [email protected]; Tel: 508-843-9070 Andrew Scholte Mariam Ismail Associate Editors: Myron S. Simon, 60 Seminary Ave. apt 272, Auburndale, MA 02466 June Lum Malika Jeffries-EL Morton Z. Hoffman, 23 Williams Rd., Norton, MA 02766 Morton Z. Hoffman Dajit Matharu Board of Publications: Ajay Purohit (Chair), Mary Mahaney, Ken Drew, Katherine Lee, Katherine Rubino All Chairs of standing Business Manager: Vacant: contact Michael Filosa at [email protected] Committees, the editor of THE NUCLEUS, and Advertising Manager: Vacant: contact Michael Filosa at [email protected] the Trustees of Section Calendar Coordinator: Samurdhi Wijesundera, Email: [email protected] Funds are members of the Photographers: Brian D’Amico, Morton Z. Hoffman Board of Directors. Any Coun cilor of the American Chemical Society Proofreaders: Donald O. Rickter, Morton Z. Hoffman residing within the section area is an ex officio Webmaster: Roy Hagen, Email: [email protected] member of the Board of Directors. Copyright 2019, Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc.

The Nucleus April 2019 3 How to Allocate NESACS Sponsors 2017 Platinum $5000+ Resources to Intellectual Boston Foundation Esselen Award SK Life Science Property as a Start-Up Amgen, Inc Johnson Matthey By Katherine Ann Rubino, NESACS Board of Publications, Patent Attorney, Cald- Vertex Pharmaceuticals well Intellectual Property Law Davos Pharma When a venture is first getting off the the to-do list as bigger issues need to be Biogen ground, there are a lot of items to be accomplished first, such as making sure PCI Synthesis considered. Delegating and protecting payroll will be met each week. In some Navin Fluorine International Ltd resources can be of utmost importance situations, a problem may arise when a Gold $3000 up to $5000 to ensure the future profitability and pro- friend, employee, or family member Merck Research Corp tection of a start-up. However, knowing makes a contribution to something that Signal Pharmaceuticals when and what resources to delegate the founder is hoping to protect by a money towards, can be an often chal- patent a little bit further down the line. J-Star Research lenging and thought-provoking conver- Generally, absent an underlying IPG Women sation. With intellectual property (IP), agreement, patent rights will vest in any- Abbvie start-ups need to be aware of potential body who contributes towards an inven- Silver $1500 up to $3000 areas where the fat can be trimmed, as tion. The contribution could be tiny, or Mettler Toledo well as areas to tread with caution. it could amount to 99% of the invention. Sanofi US Services Perhaps, one of the biggest pitfalls The amount of the contribution doesn’t Warp Drive Bio start-ups may make is accepting help matter, so long as somebody contributed Pfizer and input from anybody and anyone something, they are entitled to patent willing to offer a hand. When a start-up rights. This can cause problems, because LAVIANA is first getting off the ground, there are later down the line, a contributor may Strem Chemicals a million different things to check off on look for a cut of the pie when the inven- Bronze $500 up to $1500 a to-do list for the founder. Frequently, tion is licensed for millions of dollars Chemical Computing Group less important things get pushed down continued on page 9 Xtuit Pharmaceuticals Cydan Development Inc Achillion Pharmaceuticals Alkermes FLAMMA Safety Partners Inc Piramal Pharma Solutions’ Selvita, Inc. Organix CreaGen Life Science Entasis Therapeutics Morphic Therapeutic Interchim, Inc Xtal Biostructures Quartet Medicine Anton Parr USA Biotage Bioduro Novalix Pharma Thermo Fisher Cresset Group Custom NMR Services

4 The Nucleus April 2019 Monthly Meeting Biography The 987th Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society The Esselen Award Meeting Thursday – April 11, 2019 Harvard Faculty Club 20 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 5:30 pm Social Hour (Faculty Club) 6:15 pm Dinner (Faculty Club) Carolyn Bertozzi is the Anne T. and 8:15 pm Award Ceremonies, Mallinckrodt Building, 12 Oxford St., Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry Pfizer Lecture Hall (MB23) and Professor of Chemical & Systems Andrew Scholte, NESACS Chair, presiding Biology and Radiology (by courtesy) at Welcome and Award History - David R. Walt, Chair, Esselen , and an Investigator Award Committee of the Howard Hughes Medical Insti- Presentation of the Award - Gustavus J. Esselen, IV tute. She completed her undergraduate Introduction of the Award Recipient - Christina Woo, Harvard degree in Chemistry from Harvard Uni- University versity in 1988 and her Ph.D. in Chem- istry from UC Berkeley in 1993. After Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of completing postdoctoral work at UCSF Chemistry and Professor of Chemical & Systems Biology and Radi- in the field of cellular immunology, she ology (by courtesy) at Stanford University, Investigator of the joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 1996. Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In June 2015, she joined the faculty at Award Address: Chemical Approaches to Problems in Global Stanford University coincident with the Health launch of Stanford’s ChEM-H Institute Dinner reservations should be made no later than noon, Thursday, April 1, 2018. Prof. Bertozzi’s research interests Reservations are to be made using the NESACS Eventbrite page: https://www. span the disciplines of chemistry and bi- bertozzi-esselen-award-2019.eventbrite.com. Members, $30; Non-members, $35; ology with an emphasis on studies of cell Retirees, $20; Students, $10. Reservations for new members, and for additional surface glycosylation pertinent to dis- information, contact the Administrative Coordinator Anna Singer via e-mail at ease states. Her lab focuses on profiling [email protected]. changes in cell surface glycosylation as- sociated with cancer, inflammation and THE PUBLIC IS INVITED – RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED bacterial infection, and exploiting this Reservations not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance will not be refunded. information for development of diag- nostic and therapeutic approaches, most Parking: Free parking in the Broadway Street Garage (3rd level or higher), enter u recently in the area of immuno-oncol- from Cambridge St. via Felton Street. ogy. She has been recognized with many honors and awards for her research ac- complishments. She is an elected mem- ber of the Institute of Medicine, National Abstract Academy of Sciences, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has Chemical Approaches to Problems in Global Health been awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, and a Tuberculosis (TB) causes more infec- rooted in chemistry and chemical biol- MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, tious disease-related fatalities than any ogy for diagnosis of TB infections in among many others. other human pathogen. Management of low resource settings. We combine Major Awards: Fellow of the TB is a global public health problem metabolic engineering, smart probe de- Royal Society (2018); National Inven- that starts with the challenge of accurate sign and microscopic engineering to de- tor’s Hall of Fame Inductee (2017); diagnosis at the point of care. This pres- liver low cost technologies where they American Chemical Society Arthur C. u entation will focus on new approaches are needed most. Cope Award (2017); National Academy continued on page 10

The Nucleus April 2019 5 2018 Richards Medal Address Thus far, there have been five clinical trials, led by Exi- cure and Northwestern, focused on evaluating SNA drugs for Continued from page 2 the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis and debilitating states. Third, the medicines must be able to be delivered to diseases like Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM, brain cancer). the tissues and cells that matter. A key point I want to make is We are also formulating SNAs as powerful new immunother- that having solutions to two of the three of these issues is not apies for different types of cancer. These drugs take advantage good enough. To take advantage of nucleic acid medicines, of the structure-dependent properties of SNAs that provide we need solutions for all three – and that is where nanotech- them with privileged access to tissues and cells that linear nu- nology and nanomedicine come in. cleic acids do not enter (unless often-toxic transfection agents Despite this progress, the field of nucleic acid medicines are employed). In the case of skin diseases, this is through is still stymied by the issue of delivery, and the vast majority gels,5, 12 in the case of immunotherapies this occurs via a sub- of nucleic acid drugs that are being developed commercially cutaneous or intratumoral injection,2 and in the case of GBM, are for diseases that can be targeted in the liver because, when through systemic injection.3 Although many of these medi- systemically delivered, the liver is the organ where these med- cines are potentially field-changing both in terms of how they icines naturally accumulate. In my group, we have been ask- work and what one can treat, SNAs look particularly promis- ing the questions: what if one could locally deliver nucleic ing in the area of vaccinology, where within one structure the acid medicines directly to diseased tissues? What if one could key components of a vaccine, adjuvants (immune stimulants) get them into the eye, the lung, the GI tract, or the skin? There and peptide signatures (for training the immune system to se- are over 200 dermatological conditions with a known genetic lectively kill diseased cells), can be presented in a structural basis, but conventional nucleic acids, linear nucleic acids, will form that maximizes potency.2, 13-14 This an important point not cross the barriers presented by the skin. Further, what if because historically many approaches to vaccine development one could locally stimulate the immune system and train it to have focused primarily on toggling the vaccine components fight disease throughout the rest of the body? as opposed to making structural changes. Through our work, About two decades ago, my group discovered a new class we have systematically shown that structure can make an of nucleic acids, SNAs, structures made by chemically arrang- enormous difference. We studied three classes of SNAs, ing short snippets of DNA or RNA around a nanoparticle core nearly compositionally identical, but structurally different (Figure 1).1 SNAs have no natural equivalent and, on a se- (Figure 3). The range of responses in over half a dozen animal quence for sequence basis, are fundamentally different from models of cancer show that among the three structures, the their analogous linear structures. SNAs interact with living vaccine performance can range from ineffective to curative. systems completely differently than linear nucleic acids.8-10 The reason for this stark difference may stem from the kinetics For example, when SNAs are introduced to cells, they are ac- of signaling, which is dictated by the chemical structure of the tively and rapidly internalized, despite the fact that linear ver- SNA. The adjuvant and peptide signals are in sync in the case sions of the same sequence will not enter the same cells of the hybridized structure (which performed the best in all of (Figure 2).11 SNAs fill the cytoplasm, but they do not enter the models studied), but this is not the case with the other for- the nucleus because they are too large. We studied down the mulations. Taken together, this work shows that chemistry origin of this phenomenon and now know that it is a scavenger can play an enormous role in nanomedicine development and receptor-mediated process. SNAs enter cells via caveolin-me- specifically in vaccine development as 1) structure undoubt- diated endocytosis, a process that can be tracked by electron edly makes a difference and 2) timing may be everything. microscopy and verified via knock-out cell lines. It turns out most cell lines and tissue types will actively internalize SNAs, creating a tremendous opportunity in drug development.

Fig. 3: Schematics of the three different SNA structures investigated. The development of nucleic acid medicines, like many technologies, has followed the Gartner Hype Cycle (Figure 4).15 With any new discovery or technology, scientists often get excited, as they should. In the case of anti-sense strategies Fig. 2: Effect of oligonucleotide dimensionality on cellular uptake. continued on page 7

6 The Nucleus April 2019 2018 Richards Medal Address References Continued from page 6 1. Mirkin, C. A.; Letsinger, R. L.; Mucic, R. C.; Storhoff, J. J., Nature 1996, 382, 607-609. 30 years ago and siRNA 20 years ago, much of the research 2. Radovic-Moreno, A. F.; Chernyak, N.; Mader, C. C.; Nal- community envisioned that disease as we knew it could be lagatla, S.; Kang, R. S.; Hao, L.; Walker, D. A.; Halo, T. stomped out (“the peak of inflated expectations”). However, L.; Merkel, T. J.; Rische, C. H.; Anantatmula, S.; Burkhart, critical scientists eventually began to recognize that the im- M.; Mirkin, C. A.; Gryaznov, S. M., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. plementation of nucleic acid medicines was more difficult U. S. A. 2015, 112, 3892-3897. than initially thought, and the technology fell into the “trough of disillusionment.” But, if a technology is sound, scientists, 3. Jensen, S. A.; Day, E. S.; Ko, C. H.; Hurley, L. A.; Lu- who do believe, roll up their sleeves and do the hard work to ciano, J. P.; Kouri, F. M.; Merkel, T. J.; Luthi, A. J.; Patel, determine what is really possible. The final product often P. C.; Cutler, J. I.; Daniel, W. L.; Scott, A. W.; Rotz, M. never reaches the hype of “the peak of inflated expectations,” W.; Meade, T. J.; Giljohann, D. A.; Mirkin, C. A.; Stegh, but significant advances are made, which establish a “plateau A. H., Sci. Transl. Med. 2013, 5, 209ra152. of productivity.” In the case of nucleic acid medicines, we 4. Rosi, N. L.; Giljohann, D. A.; Thaxton, C. S.; Lytton-Jean, are just coming out of the trough and nanomedicines are play- A. K. R.; Han, M. S.; Mirkin, C. A., Science 2006, 312, ing a key role in this process. Companies like Alnylam, Ionis, 1027-1030. Exicure, Biogen, and Dicerna have lead compounds deep in 5. Zheng, D.; Giljohann, D. A.; Chen, D. L.; Massich, M. D.; the clinic. Some of the first drugs, like Spinraza and ONPAT- Wang, X. Q.; Iordanov, H.; Mirkin, C. A.; Paller, A. S., TRO, have been FDA-approved and are used to treat rare dis- Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2012, 109, 11975-11980. eases like spinal muscular atrophy (or SMA) and 6. Herper, M., The world’s best-selling drugs. Forbes March polyneuropathy, respectively. SNAs, because they are new 2004. therapeutic modalities and delivery systems within one struc- 7. Urquhart, L., Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 2018, 17, ture, promise to significantly expand this list. We are pressing 232. forward and excited to see what the future holds. 8. Lytton-Jean, A. K.; Mirkin, C. A., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 12754-12755. 9. Seferos, D. S.; Prigodich, A. E.; Giljohann, D. A.; Patel, P. C.; Mirkin, C. A., Nano Lett. 2009, 9, 308-311. 10. Massich, M. D.; Giljohann, D. A.; Schmucker, A. L.; Patel, P. C.; Mirkin, C. A., ACS Nano 2010, 4, 5641-5646. 11. Choi, C. H. J.; Hao, L.; Narayan, S. P.; Auyeung, E.; Mirkin, C. A., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2013, 110, 7625-7630. 12. Randeria, P. S.; Seeger, M. A.; Wang, X. Q.; Wilson, H.; Shipp, D.; Mirkin, C. A.; Paller, A. S., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2015, 112, 5573-5578. 13. Skakuj, K.; Wang, S.; Qin, L.; Lee, A.; Zhang, B.; Mirkin, Fig. 4: SNA technology promises to significantly alter and accelerate the C. A., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 1227-1230. productivity curve for developing new nucleic acid therapeutics. With the development of therapies for each new organ, the “curve” of productivity 14. Yamankurt, G.; Berns, E. J.; Xue, A.; Lee, A.; Bagheri, N.; rises. Mrksich, M.; Mirkin, C. A., Nat. Biomed. Eng. 2019, Acknowledgements 10.1038/s41551-019-0351-1. Research was supported by the National Cancer Institute of 15. Fenn, J., Mastering the hype cycle : How to choose the right innovation at the right time. Harvard Business Press: the National Institutes of Health under Awards U54CA199091 u and P50CA221747. The content is solely the responsibility of Boston, Mass., 2008. the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The project was also supported by the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Movember Foundation under award 17CHAL08.

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The Nucleus April 2019 7 Gustavus John Esselen Award Prior Recipients of the Gustavus John Esselen Award 1987 - F. Sherwood Rowland, Univer- 2000 - William A. Pryor, Louisiana State 2011 - Arthur J. Nozick, Senior Re- sity of California at Irvine, and Mario University. Vitamin E and the Preven- search Fellow, National Renewable J. Molina, now at the Massachusetts tion of Heart Disease. Energy Laboratory and Professor Ad- Institute of Technology. Discovery of 2001 - Joseph M. DeSimone, University junct, Department of Chemistry and the Influence of Chlorofluorocarbons of North Carolina and North Carolina Biochemistry, University of Colorado, on the Ozone Layer. State University. Green Chemistry for Boulder. Prospects and Novel Ap- 1988 - Alfred P. Wolf and Joanna S. Sustainable Economic Development. proaches for the Low Cost Power Con- Fowler, Brookhaven National Labora- 2002 - , Columbia Uni- version of Solar Photons to Electricity tories, Chemical Procedures to Make versity. Chemistry Lessons from Biol- and Solar Fuels Positron Emission Tomography a Prac- ogy and vice versa. 2012 - Bruce Ganem, Franz and Elisa- tical Method in Medical Diagnosis. 2003 - Bruce D. Roth, Pfizer Global Re- beth Roessler Professor of Chemistry 1989 - Carl Djerassi, Stanford Univer- search & Development. The Discov- and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fel- sity. Synthesis and Promotion of the ery and Development of Lipitor® low at Cornell. Lost (Sometimes) In First and Most Common (Atorvastatin Calcium). Translation: Advancing Chemical Dis- . 2004 - James W. Jorgenson, University coveries Beyond the Laboratory 1990 - Thomas J. Dougherty, Roswell of North Carolina. The Magic of Cap- 2013 - Michael H. Gelb, Harry and Park Cancer Institute. The Develop- illaries in Chemical Separations and Catherine Jaynne Bond Endowed Pro- ment of Photodynamic Therapy for the Analysis. fessor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Treatment of Malignant Disease. 2005 - Jean M. J. Fréchet, University of at the University of Washington in 1991 - and Thomas California at Berkeley, Functional Seattle and Frantisek Turecek, Chem- Eisner, Cornell University. Chemical Macromolecules: From Design and istry Department at University of Responses in the Insect and Plant Synthesis to Applications. Washington. The New Generation World. 2006 - Richard D. DiMarchi, University Chemistry for Newborn Screening 1992 - Bruce N. Ames, University of of Indiana, Chemical Biotechnology 2014 - David R. Walt, Robinson Profes- California at Berkeley. Methods for as a Means to Optimal Protein Ther- sor of Chemistry and Howard Hughes Detection of Carcinogens and Causes apeutics. Medical Institute Professor, Tufts of Aging and Cancer. 2007 - Michael A. Marletta, University University. Microwell Arrays: From 1993 - James G. Anderson, Harvard of California at Berkeley, Nitric Oxide Genetic Analysis to Ultra-High Sensi- University. Experimental Methods for in Biology: From Discovery to Thera- tivity Diagnostics Measuring Global Ozone Loss. peutics. 2015 - Eric Jacobsen, Sheldon Emory 1994 - Kary B. Mullis. The Discovery of 2008 - John A. Katzenellenbogen, Professor of Organic Chemistry, Har- Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) Swanlund Professor of Chemistry, vard University. Catalysis: A Frontier for the Replication of DNA Molecules. University of Illinois at Champaign- at the Center of Chemistry 1995 - Howard J. Schaeffer, Burroughs Urbana, Estrogens and Estrogen re- 2016 – Timothy M. Swager, John D. Wellcome Company. Nucleosides with ceptors as a Nexus of Chemistry and MacArthur Professor of Chemistry, Antiviral Activity-The Discovery of Biology in Health and Disease. MIT and Director of the Deshpande Acyclovir (Zovirax®). 2009 - Chad A. Mirkin, Director of the Center for Technological Innovation, 1996 - Roy G. Gordon, Harvard Univer- International Institute for Nanotech- Chemical/Biological Sensing: Science sity. Low Emissivity Glass; Energy nology, George B. Rathmann Professor and Real World Applications Conserving Windows. of Chemistry, Professor of Biomedical 2017 – Neil M. Donahue, Thomas Lord 1997-Rangaswamy Srinivasan, UVTech Engineering, Professor of Biological Professor of Chemistry, Chemical En- Associates. The Widely Used Laser and Chemical Engineering, Professor gineering and Engineering and Public Methodology of Tiny Focused Ablative of Medicine and Professor of Materi- Policy, Carnegie-Mellon University. Photodecomposition. als Science and Engineering, North- Atmospheric Ozonolysis: From Colli- sional Energy Transfer to Particle 1998 - Kyriacos C. Nicolaou, Scripps western University. Nanostructures in Physics and Everything in Between. Research Institute. Chemical Synthesis Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine. and Chemical Biology of Natural Sub- 2010 - Stephen L. Buchwald, Camille 2018 – Jennifer A. Doudna, Howard stances. Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, De- Hughes Institute Investigator, Ka-shing 1999 - Robert S. Langer, Massachusetts partment of Chemistry, Massachu- Chancellor’s Chair in Biomedical and Institute of Technology. The Develop- setts Institute of Technology. Pd- and Health Sciences, Professor of Bio- ment of Unique Polymers for Medical Cu-Catalyzed Processes for the Syn- chemistry, Biophysics and Structural Applications. thesis of Pharmaceuticals. continued on page 9

8 The Nucleus April 2019 Intellectual Property excitedly tell a friend or family member about the cool things they did at work NESACS Continued from page 4 today, or even worse may disclose each year. A way this can be avoided is something not yet protected by a patent 2019 to have clear cut employment agree- at a seminar or trade show. These types ments in place that specify assignment of disclosures may be devastating be- agreements for inventions or contribu- cause they can increase the difficulty in Candidates tion made by employees. Assignment later obtaining a patent or disclose costly agreements are a typical practice, that trade secrets. In the U.S. disclosing your for Election can vest all rights in invention made by idea such as offering products for sale, an employee back to the employer. publishing an article pertaining to your Chair These agreements can save time and invention, or disclosing your product at Raj Rajur money and prevent future awkward con- a trade show may trigger a one-year Secretary versations. Furthermore, these arrange- clock to file a patent application. Re- ments are commonplace in the work- cently, the Supreme Court even ruled Michael Singer place, and help define the expectation that secret sales count as prior art and Trustee for the employee. trigger the one-year clock to file a Dorothy Phillips patent. After that year, your own disclo- Councilor (5)/ sure can be used against you by a patent Alternate Councilor (5) examiner as prior art to block you from Jens Breffke getting a patent. Having a clear IP strat- Kap-Sun Yeung egy in place can help put mechanisms Sofia Santos and channels in place to protect innova- Sonja Strah-Pleynet tions and ensure there is a plan for filing Hicham Fenniri patents. This problem can also be miti- Tom Gilbert gated by filing a provisional patent ap- plication on an invention, which holds Mary Jane Shultz Another area where start-ups may the place for a non-provisional patent Michael Singer try and cut costs is by failing to formu- application to be filed within one year, Lisa Marcaurelle late an IP strategy. Again, as a start-up while the invention is refined. Often Lee Johnson first starts out, a million decisions have times, provisional applications can be a Mary Mahaney to be made. Frequently, a founder may great starting place for start-ups as they Malika Jeffries-EL put off consulting with an IP attorney cost less money to file than non-provi- Director at Large (2 positions) until later, at a more convenient time. sional applications and allow the inven- Mark Tebbe However, as the company grows and de- tion to be enhanced and updated, as for David Harris velops, and more employees are added, example, engineering bugs are worked Mike Filosa the number of people knowing about the out. Filing provisional applications can IP grows, as does the chance for a po- be part of an IP strategy that allows for Nominating Committee tential disclosure. a start-up to then pursue non-provisional (2 positions) Working for a start-up can be an ex- applications that show great success and Josh Sacher citing venture with lots to develop and promise. Brian D’Amico innovate. Frequently an employee may And to mirror the last pitfall, an- Elizabeth Draganova other problem a start-up may face once Richards Award Committee Esselen Award they do file provisional applications, is (2 positions) to fail to pursue non-provisional appli- Continued from page 8 Mary Jane Shultz cations within one year. Provisional ap- Mingdi Yan Biology, University of Califor-nia, plications are placeholders, preserving Esselen Award Committee Berkeley. Re-writing the Code of Life: an early priority date, that require a non- (2 positions) The Impacts and Ethics of Genome provisional application to be filed within Editing one year. Failure to file a non-provi- Karen Allen Katherine Mirica 2019 – Carolyn A. Bertozzi, Howard sional application can result in abandon- Hughes Investigator, Anne T. and ment of the application and loss of that Petition Candidates: “Any group com- Robert M. Bass Professor of Chem- original priority day. Often times, this prising two per cent or more of the istry and Chemical and Systems Biol- would mean the need to file a new ap- Northeastern Section may nominate candidates……” See NESACS website ogy (by courtesy), Stanford University. plication and receive a new priority date. u Chemical Approaches to Problems in By now it may be more than one year for details. u Global Health continued on page 10

The Nucleus April 2019 9 Biography Intellectual Property egy that outlines which inventions will be protected by trade secrets, and which Continued from page 5 Continued from page 9 inventions will be protected by patents of Sciences Award in the Chemical Sci- down the line and someone else may can be paramount in ensuring the future ences (2016); Ernest Orlando Lawrence have already invented your invention. vitality of a start-up. Award of the U.S. Department of En- To summarize, there are many dif- ergy (2015); UCSF 150th Anniversary ferent pitfalls that can create problems Alumni Excellence Award (2015); Hans for start-ups as they are first getting off Bloemendal Award (Radboud Univ. Ni- Intellectual Property the ground. Many of these potential jmegen) (2013); Heinrich Wieland Prize problems can be greatly minimized by (2012); Tetrahedron Young Investigator formulating a strategic plan to create an Award (2011); Lemelson-MIT Prize IP strategy that will provide the most (2010); Albert Hofmann Medal (Univ. benefit for the start-up, and ensure fu- u Zurich) (2009); Harrison Howe Award ture success for many years to come. (2009); W. H. Nichols Award (2009); As of 2013, with the passage of the Willard Gibbs Medal (2008); Roy L. America Invents Act (AIA), the U.S. Whistler International Award in Carbo- now operates on a first to file system, hydrate Chemistry (2008); Li Ka Shing whereby the first inventor to file a patent Women in Science Award (2008); Ernst application obtains the rights to that in- Schering Prize (2007); T.Z. and Irmgard vention. Abandonment of an application Chu Distinguished Professorship in may not mean abandonment of the in- Chemistry (2005); Havinga Medal, vention, but may mean abandonment of Univ. Leiden (2005); Iota Sigma Pi an earlier priority date and thus someone Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award else in the interim may file an applica- (2004); Irving Sigal Young Investigator tion. Ultimately, this may result in an in- Award of the Protein Society (2002); ability to obtain a patent. Ensuring that Fellow of the American Association for deadlines are met and that non-provi- the Advancement of Science (2002); sional applications are timely filed is es- Donald Sterling Noyce Prize for Excel- sential for any start-up. lence in Undergraduate Teaching (2001); Finally, another potential problem UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching for start-ups can include “relying” on Award (2001); ACS Award in Pure trade secret protection in lieu of filing a Chemistry (2001); Merck Academic De- patent. While innovations that are velopment Program Award (2000); UC patented can be protected instead under Berkeley Department of Chemistry trade secret law, having strict measures Teaching Award (2000); Presidential in place to ensure adequate protection is Early Career Award in Science and En- paramount. Often, trade secret law is gineering (PECASE) (2000); MacArthur complex and requires pure confidential- Foundation “Genius” Award (1999); ity. In addition, trade secrets require ad- Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award ditional steps such as educating staff (1999); Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award about trade secret protections, as well as (ACS) (1999); Beckman Young Investi- ensuring staff compliance with non-dis- What’s Yours? gator Award (1998); Prytanean Faculty closure agreements. Employees who Award (1998); Glaxo Wellcome Scholar break confidentiality often have to be let DMPK Scientist, (1998); Research Corporation Research go and can sometimes cause logistical LC/MS Product Specialist, Innovation Award (1998); Office of nightmares. Furthermore, with passage Mass Spec Operator, Naval Research Young Investigator of the Defend Trade Secrets Act Staff Investigator, Award (1998); Horace S. Isbell Award in (DTSA) in 2016, an owner of a trade se- Process , Carbohydrate Chemistry (ACS) (1997); cret has the right to sue in federal court QA Manager, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (1997); for trade secret misappropriation. How- Synthetic Chemist, Burroughs Wellcome New Investigator ever, in order to be able to sue under Lab Instructor . . . Award in Pharmacology (1997); Pew DTSA you must show you had a trade secret to even begin with. Failing to pro- Many local employers post positions Scholars Award in the Biomedical Sci- on the NESACS job board. ences (1996); Exxon Education Fund vide adequate documentation or proof Young Investigator Award (1996); that a trade secret even exists can be Find yours at Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Fac- devastating and ultimately result in the www.nesacs.org/jobs u ulty Award (1995) loss of the ability to bring suit against a potential leaker. Having a clear IP strat-

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April 1 April 23 Prof. Alice Ting (Stanford) Prof. Amanda Hargrove (Duke) Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm April 2 Dr. Sunney Xie (Harvard) Single cell genomics: when stochasticity meets Prof. David Sarlah (U. Illinois-Urbana- precision Champaign) MIT, 6-120, 4:00 pm Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm April 3 Prof. Justin Kennemur (Florida State) U. New Hamphire, Parsons N104, 11:10 am Prof. Andrew Ellington (Univ. Texas-Austin) April 24 Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm Prof. Kyoko Nazaki (Univ. Tokyo) April 4 Homogeneous catalysis for organic polymer Prof. Jennifer Doudna (UC-Berkeley) synthesis Boston University, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm Boston College, Merkert 127, 4:00 pm April 8 Prof. Melanie Sanford (Univ. Michigan) MIT, 4-370, 4:15 pm Prof. Tehshek Yoon (UW-Madison) BU, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm April 25 Prof. Adam Willard (MIT) Prof. Kyoko Nazaki (Univ. Tokyo) Brandeis, Gerstenzang 124, 3:40 pm Coordination copolymerization of olefins with

AMERICAN CHEMICAL polar monomers

U.S. POSTAGE PAID Prof. Ben Cravatt (Scripps Research Institute) NONPROFIT ORG. NORTHEASTERN Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm Boston College, Merkert 127, 4:00 pm SOCIETY SECTION April 9 Prof. Dale L. Boger (Scripps Research Institute) MIT, 6-120, 4:00 pm Prof. Jerome Robinson (Brown) April 26 U. New Hampshire, Parsons N104, 11:10 am April 10 Prof. Kyoko Nazaki (Univ. Tokyo) One-step formation of multiple bonds for the Prof. Shana Kelley (Univ. Toronto) synthesis of novel pi-conjugated molecules Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm Boston College, Merkert 127, 4:00 pm Prof. Paul Chirik (Princeton) Prof. Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli (UMass- Calendar MIT, 4-370, 4:15 pm Boston) April 11 Engineering the nano-bio interface for applications in infectious disease Check the NESACS home page Organic Synthesis Symposium UMass-Lowell, Olney 316, 3:30 pm MIT, 6-120, 4:00 pm April 29 for late Calendar additions: April 12 http://www.NESACS.org Prof. Elon A. Ison (North Carolina State) Prof. John Tsavalas (U. New Hampshire) Boston University, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm Note also the Chemistry Department web UMass-Lowell, Olney 316, 3:30 pm Prof. Ryan Hili (York University) pages for travel directions and updates. April 16 Brandeis, Gerstenzang 124, 3:40 pm These include: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/chemistry/s Prof. Steven Townsend (Vanderbilt) Tufts, Pearson P-106, 4:30 pm Prof. Jonathan Owen (Columbia) eminars.html Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm http://www.bu.edu/chemistry/seminars/ Prof. Fang Liu (Columbia) http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/chem U. New Hampshire, Parsons N104, 11:10 am Prof. Dennis A. Dougherty (Caltech) April 17 MIT, 4-270, 4:00 pm istry/events/index.html April 30 http://chemistry.harvard.edu/calendar/upco Prof. David Baker (Univ. Washington) ming Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 12:55 pm Dr. Juan DePablo (Univ. Chicago) http://www.northeastern.edu/cos/chemistry/ Prof. Christoper C. Cummins (MIT) MIT, 6-120, 4:00 pm events-2/ Notices for The Nucleus http://chemistry.mit.edu/events/all MIT, 4-370, 4:15 pm http://chem.tufts.edu/seminars.html Calendar of Seminars should http://engineering.tufts.edu/chbe/newsEven April 18 be sent to: ts/seminarSeries/index.asp Prof. Maciej Walczak, (Univ. Colorado) http://www.chem.umb.edu MIT, 6-120, 4:00 pm Samurdhi Wijesundera, Email:u http://www.umassd.edu/cas/chemistry/ April 22 [email protected] http://www.uml.edu/Sciences/chemistry/Se minars-and-Colloquia.aspx Prof. Ksenia Bravana (Boston Univ.) http://www.unh.edu/chemistry/events Boston University, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departmen Prof. David Reichman (Columbia) ts/chemistry-biochemistry Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm Prof. Aviv Regev (Broad Institute) Join Looking for seminars MIT, 4-270, 4:00 pm in the Boston area? NESACS Check out the Your one-stop source to career-related on facebook NESACS Calendar links in the Chemical Sciences www.nesacs.org/seminars WWW.NESACS.ORG/CAREERS www.facebook.com/nesacs