RACI E-News November 2019

I was particularly excited to see in the October Newsletter that some 31 new members have joined the RACI family! It is also encouraging to find 17 student members within the group. I like to extend a special welcome to all of you. I look forward to meeting many of you in upcoming events organised by the interest groups and regional sections of the Branch. Please remember to be involved to Inside this Issue make the best of your RACI membership. This also highlights the need for our 1 Message from the groups and sections to organise more events that engage with both undergraduate President and postgraduate students. It also reminds me that we are fast approaching the 2 Calendar of Events end-of-semester time of the year and many students will need to cope with 3 Blueprint for Career examinations, thesis submission, etc. I wish all students the very best of luck in Success in STEMM-6 Nov 2019 completing the requirements of your study programs this year.

4 The Australasian Laboratory Management A major event in October was the annual general meeting of the Branch. Conference, Sydney Approximately 30 members attended the meeting and were all enlightened by a 11-13 November 2019 presentation covering the National Indigenous Science Education Program by 5 AGM of the NSW Branch- Associate Professor Joanne Jamie (Macquarie University). I like to take this 17 October 2019 opportunity to again express my gratitude to the outgoing committee for your hard 6 NSW BDDG Event-15 October 2019 work in the past 12 months. All committee members are acting on a voluntary basis, coping with all the tasks on top of their usual job demands. This is often 7 RACI 2020 Mentoring Programme not easy for many committee members and I like you to know that your enthusiasm and dedications are much appreciated. Since the annual general 8 Stories from the Periodic Table meeting, we now have a new Branch committee with Dr Sinead Keaveney (Macquarie University) taking up the role of Honorary Secretary, Dr Lidia 9 Soluble Zinc with Prebiotics to aid in Matesic (ANSTO) continuing with her role of Honorary Treasurer, Ms Tania Recovery from Muscle Notaras (Immediate Past President) and Associate Professor Roger Read (Past Cramp by Saji CuhaWijay President). In addition, we are also supported by several elected members 10 ROWE Scientific including Mr David Edmonds (The Pharmaceutical Science Group), Dr Adam 11 ChemAxon Martin (Macquarie University), Dr Saji CuhaWijay (Neptune Bio-Innovations Pty 12 NATA Metrology Society Ltd), Dr Nigel Lengkeek (ANSTO) and Ms Angelique Greco (Pharmaxis). The of Australasia Conference committee will meet in November to begin planning of events and activities in 2020 2020. If any other members are interested in being involved, please do not 13 Annual Cornforth Lecture hesitate to get in touch with me. -13 November, 2019 14 Macquarie ConocoPhillips Science Within the global Chemistry community, an exciting news recently is of course Experience, January 20- 22, 2020 the announcement of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Professor John B. Goodenough (The University of Texas at Austin), Professor M.Stanley 15 GRAND PRIX 2020 Whittingham (Binghamton University, State University of New York) and 16 Welcome New RACI Members(60 seconds Professor Akira Yoshino (Asahi Kasei Corporation and Meijo University) for their with Dr Nathaniel development of lithium-ion batteries. This announcement is particularly Corrigan encouraging within the electrochemistry and material science communities, and 17 RACI News Page the greater chemistry community as a whole. To celebrate, the journal, ACS th 18 Become a RACI Fellow Energy Letters, has made the following collection free-to-read until 10 November: 19 A/Professor Elizabeth New-The winner of 2019 Malcolm McIntosh Prize 1

RACI E-News November 2019

• Cellulose-Based Porous Membrane for Suppressing Li Dendrite Formation in Lithium-Sulfur Battery ACS Energy Lett. 2016, 1, 3, 633-637 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.6b00209 • What Limits the Capacity of Layered Oxide Cathodes in Lithium Batteries? ACS Energy Lett., 2019, 4, 8, 1902-1906 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01236 • Status and Outlook for Magnesium Battery Technologies: A Conversation with Stan Whittingham and Sarbajit Banerjee ACS Energy Lett., 2019, 4, 2, 572-575 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.9b00214

Some might have already noticed that, in addition to Rowe Scientific (see page 11), ChemAxon (see page 11) has also recently started advertising in our monthly Newsletter. Thank you to both Rowe Scientific and ChemAxon for choosing to work with RACI. I do encourage all members to consult with the two organisations to find out more about their products and services.

Although there are two more months left in 2019, there are still many exciting RACI events in place in November and December. Please refer to the calendar (page 3) to find out when and where these events will be. In particular, I will be attending Dr Ruby Campbell’s workshop on “Blueprint for Career Success in STEMM” (see page 4) and I hope to see many of you there as well. We have just been advised that Dr Campbell has generously decided to give every participant at the workshop a free copy of her book, “Scientists in Every Boardroom: Harnessing the Power of STEMM Leaders in an Irrational World”. I also like to make a special mention on The Australasian Laboratory Management Conference on November 11 – 13 (see page 5), which will certainly be of interest to many chemists in industry. The organiser, Science Industry Australia, has agreed to grant their membership rate to all RACI members in attending the conference.

Keep working hard, my fellow Chemists! It will look a lot like Christmas soon!

Danny Wong RACI NSW Branch President

“Nurture the passion, discover the possibilities"

L to R: Danny Wong (President), Tania Notaras (Immediate Past-President), Roger Read (Past President), Lidia Matesic (Hon Treasurer), Sinead Keaveney (Hon Secretary), Adam Martin, David Edmonds,, CuhaWijay Sathiyajith, Nigel Lengkeek, Angelique Greco,

The next Branch Committee Meeting is to be held on Tuesday 19 Nov 2019 (Face-to-Face meeting at RACI NSW Branch Office)

RACI E-News November 2019

Calendar of Events 2019

Date Title Location Further Info

Guthrie Theatre, NSW Branch- University of https://www.raci.org.au/events/event/nsw- 6 Nov 19 Blueprint for Career Technology, Sydney, branch-blueprint-for-career-success-in- Success in STEMM Peter Johnson Building, stemm Harris St, Ultimo.

NSW Polymer R102, Ainsworth Group Symposium Building, School of https://www.raci.org.au/events/event/nsw- 8 Nov 19 2019(Pre-event for th Chemical Engineering, the 37 Australasian polymer-group-symposium-2019 UNSW Sydney Polymer Symposium

NSW Consultants and Contractors CSIRO, 11 Julius Group- ATO and https://www.raci.org.au/events/event/n Avenue, North Ryde 21 Nov 19 ASIC Business sw-consultants-and-contractors-group- Essentials seminar-2

NSW Analytical & Environmental Group - Annual https://www.raci.org.au/events/event/nsw- Honours and analytical-environmental-group-annual- 26 Nov 19 Macquarie University Masters-by- honours-and-masters-by-research-student- Research Student presentation-evening Presentation Evening

NSW Organic School of Chemistry, Chemistry Group- https://www.raci.org.au/events/event/nsw- 4 Dec 19 The University of One Day Sydney organic-one-day-symposium-2019 Symposium 2019

Registration details can usually be found on the RACI Events website: www.raci.org.au/events If any groups or sections have any events scheduled please email [email protected]

RACI E-News November 2019

Blueprint for Career Success in STEMM – Wednesday 6 November 2019

Would you like to accelerate your career advancement? Would you like to become an effective leader, whether in academia, business or in the public arena? Are you thriving in your career?

Come and listen to our guest speaker – leadership coach, scientist, and author, Dr Ruby Campbell, as she addresses these issues and shares insights from her new book: Scientists in Every Boardroom: Harnessing the Power of STEMM Leaders in an Irrational World. *You will be receiving a FREE copy of Dr Campbell’s book at the workshop for your participation but please note that the person must attend the workshop and no copies will be mailed out.

When: 6-8.15pm, Wednesday 6 November 2019 Where: Building 7, Level 3, Room 10B and 10G at UTS. The campus map of UTS is located at https://maps.uts.edu.au/map.cfm (Please look for Building “CB07” on the map).

What to expect from this event?

• Develop understanding of why organisations (and the world) need more STEMM leaders at the decision-making table. • Blueprint for success by applying the SCIENCE of Leadership coaching model to help STEMM professionals’ transition to influential leadership roles. • Learn about tools from coaching psychology to identify and overcome individual and systemic obstacles to success. • Case studies on how coaching accelerated career progression. • Insights from Scientists in Every Boardroom: Harnessing the Power of STEMM Leaders in an Irrational World. • Network with peers and meet other successful STEMM leaders over canapes and drinks. To register and pay for the seminar go to: https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/NSB969/ Visit the Branch website at: https://www.raci.org.au/branches/nsw-branch for program description and further information.

Facebook event page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1138627999667972/

RACI E-News November 2019

The Australasian Laboratory Management Conference, Sydney 11-13 November 2019

Australasian Laboratory Managers Association and Science Industry Australia are proud to present the Australasian Laboratory Management Conference 2019. Please mark the following details in your calendar for what is sure to be an exciting event:

Australasian Laboratory Management Conference November 11 - 13, 2019 Rosehill Gardens Sydney, Australia

Please click here for further information and register at: http://www.scienceindustry.com.au/index.php/news/almc2019/registration

*RACI members would receive ALMA/SIA member rates to this event. Please mention it when registering.

Annual General Meeting of the NSW Branch-17 October 2019

The annual general meeting of the NSW Branch was held at Macquarie University on 17th October. Approximately 30 members attended the meeting on the night. The meeting began with a warm welcome by the President, Danny Wong, who then reported on the main activities and achievements by the Branch and the interest groups / regional sections. He thanked the outgoing committee members for their effort and dedications in organising various activities and representing the Branch at different functions over the past year.

The Honorary Treasurer, Lidia Matesic, delivered a report on the financial status of the Branch and groups/sections. It was pleasing to learn that the Branch did well financially in the past year, and groups including the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Group, The Pharmaceutical Science Group, and The Polymer Group have each made a significant contribution.

RACI E-News November 2019

Danny Wong with our guest speaker A/Prof Joanne Jamie

The following members were then voted as the new Branch committee 2019/2020:

• President Dr Danny Wong • President-Elect Vacant • Immediate Past President Tania Notaras • Past President Hon Associate Professor Roger Read • Honorary Secretary Dr Sinead Keaveney • Honorary Treasurer Dr Lidia Matesic • Elected Members Mr David Edmonds Dr Adam Martin Dr Nigel Lengkeek Dr Saji CuhaWijay Ms Angelique Grec

As an invited speaker at the meeting, Associate Professor Joanne Jamie (Macquarie University) delivered an enlightening presentation on the National Indigenous Science Education Program that she leads in engaging indigenous high school students in science education. Joanne’s presentation has clearly highlighted a major positive impact on some of the indigenous elders and engaged with students interested in a science / engineering career. A social networking session then followed, over which all attendees were enjoying a sumptuous dinner in each other’s company.

RACI E-News November 2019

NSW Bioactive Discovery and Development Group Event-15 October 2019 Drug discovery in Australia: the importance of a healthy relationship between academia and industry

The mixed audience of industrial and academic practitioners, intermixed with students and interstate delegates, were entertained by the experts and were given tips as to how close and meaningful interactions between academic and industrial partners, in the one case within Australia and then from a comparative perspective from experiences in the United States, contributed to successful outcomes in biotech and pharma enterprises. The panel talks led to lengthy formal discussion and a productive exchange of ideas that continued with enjoyment, informally over the generous canapés and refreshments

The panel members, Phoebe Phillips and Brendan Monohan

Roger W Read Past President of RACI NSW Branch

RACI 2020 Mentoring Programme

The advantages and benefits of mentoring are abundantly clear, both for the mentee and the mentor. The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (www.raci.org.au) runs a Careers Development Programme with mentoring for young scientists, with extremely successful results. Both the mentor and the mentees enthusiastically report their positive experiences, particularly in job-readiness and tangible outcomes.

Applications for the 2020 programme are invited from students in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and (possibly) Canberra.

RACI E-News November 2019

The RACI has up to 30 spaces available in the 2020 Mentoring Programme for young scientists keen to develop industrial / commercial, research or government careers (academic career paths are already very well catered to). The programme involves: • Regular guidance and support (every few weeks), typically via calls and occasional casual meetings. • Support in developing professional networks, as example through facilitated networking (the mentor generally introducing the mentees to RACI contacts and helping involve the young scientists in conversations at RACI events). • Career support & advice. • Advice and support throughout the process of finding a first job.

Full details and the short application form can be found here: www.raci.org.au/jobs-careers/career-development-program/raci-2020-mentoring-programme

Dave Sammut

Stories from the Periodic Table

In celebration of the International Year of the Periodic Table in 2019, The Royal Australian Chemical Institute is sharing personal stories in connection to elements. To read the stories submitted, click on this link. https://www.raci.org.au/events-awards/stories-from-the-periodic-table

Do you have a story connected to a certain element? Whether it’s from your work, studies or everyday life, the RACI wants to hear your personal connection to this element. Over the course of the International Year of the Periodic Table in 2019, the RACI will publish these stories on the RACI website and social media to highlight the personal connections that people have to science, and to chemistry.

Submissions from residents in Australia or New Zealand will be entered into a competition for the chance to meet and mingle with the leadership in Australian chemistry at the RACI National Awards Dinner in November 2019. The winners will also have their stories and/or biographies published in Chemistry in Australia and will each receive a copy A Century of Bonds. For full competition details click here.

RACI E-News November 2019

Soluble Zinc with Prebiotics to aid in Recovery from Muscle Cramps: Introducing another facet of an Oral Rehydration Solution

I hope those who attended the ‘NWS Branch Presidents Dinner 2019’ would vividly recall the outgoing Nyholm Youth Lecturer, A/Prof. Nial Wheate’s presentation on “Oral Rehydration and ‘Gatorade’”. Therefore, I thought, it would be apt to correlate the d-block element, namely zinc, with oral rehydration from the perspective of muscle recovery.

Muscle cramps are palpable contractions that take place in one muscle or part of a muscle and could be acutely painful. Muscle cramp could last for seconds to several hours and potentially lead to persistent tenderness and swelling. The causes for true muscle cramps are highly diversified and range from motor neuron disorders, metabolic disorders such as hepatic cirrhosis, hypothyroidism and situations of acute extracellular volume depletion such as excessive perspiration, haemodialysis, diarrhoea and diuretic therapy or even as a side effect of medication. Among the diversified causes outlined, exercise associated muscle cramps (EXAC) could prolong and this type of muscle cramps could endanger the performance of elite athletes.

Scientifically, triad of causes have been associated with EXAC, namely altered neuromuscular control theory, electrolyte theory and dehydration theory. Firstly, altered neuromuscular theory states that muscle fatigue and muscle overload lead to muscular cramps by affecting the balance between excitatory drive from muscle spindles and the inhibitory drive from the Golgi tendon organs. The theory had been well established in human and animal models. While dehydration theory emphasises on the contribution of loss of salt and water to muscle cramps, the electrolyte theory attributes it to loss of sodium and potassium.

It should be noted electrolyte theory is mainly from a systemic perspective and is relatively not established, although cases have been reported. Simply, one could conclude that altered neuromuscular theory and dehydration theory coupled together could provide a plausible explanation for most cases. Therefore, factors that could mitigate muscle fatigue and dehydration shall greatly enhance the efficiency of relief from muscle cramps. Zinc is one such factor. To understand the pivotal role of zinc in reducing muscle fatigue, it is important to have a synopsis of its importance in general.

Micronutrient with Macro benefits The significance of zinc as an essential micronutrient was not in limelight till Prasad and co-workers reported it in 1961. The term ‘micro’’ indicates that trace amount of nutrient is sufficient to provide contribution to significant metabolic activities. Zinc plays a pivotal role in a plethora of metabolic activities, such as protein synthesis, enzymatic activity by being an essential component of the catalytic site or sites of enzymes spanning all classes of enzymatic activity. Indeed, zinc is ubiquitous in subcellular metabolism. In particular, athletic training appears to upregulate the mRNA abundance of antioxidant enzyme in aerobic tissues such as deep portion of vastus lateralis muscle (a muscle in the thigh).

However, reduction in dietary zinc beyond the capacity to maintain equilibrium leads to utilisation of zinc stored in the body. Even partial depletion of these important zinc stores can lead to rapid onset of both biochemical and clinical signs of zinc deficiency.

Recommended dietary allowance and intake of zinc by Athletes Several studies have reported zinc levels that are below normal values of in elite athlete’s Dietary intake values have been referenced by software-based programs. The below average intake of 8 mg/day zinc is particularly prevalent in active female athletes and this was mainly attributed to their lower intakes of animal products and was also correlated to lower energy intakes. In fact, female athletes have been recommended to avoid animal products, while limit intakes of whole or fortified cereals and grains.

RACI E-News November 2019

Otherwise, zinc supplements may be required. Zinc losses may also be substantial for athletes in hot, humid environments. On the other hand, low plasma zinc levels have been directly associated with fatigue via reduction of thyroid and testosterone hormones. However, physiologic dose of zinc supplementation will reportedly enhance the performance of endurance athletes in an effective manner by directly acting on the enhancement of thyroid and testosterone hormones thereby reducing fatigue.

Furthermore, antioxidant properties of zinc as outlined above also play an immense role in mitigating muscle fatigue. In fact, a recent well-conducted human trial reported a reduction in the oxidative capacity of zinc as the cause of muscle fatigue. The low serum zinc levels found in endurance athletes may also induce several functional alterations in different organs and immune systems that may be involved in the pathogenesis of fatigue. Also, from the perspective of dehydration theory, it has been well established that zinc aids in rapid rehydration.

True innovation with Zinc & Prebiotics in Oral Rehydration Solutions It can be concluded that intake of zinc salt in a form that causes no acidity and high bioavailability (distribution within the body) could effectively combat dietary zinc deficiency of athletes. Concurrently, it will play a pivotal role in recovery from muscle cramps more effectively. Moreover, zinc acetate, zinc sulfate and zinc gluconate are most commonly employed soluble salts. In particular, zinc gluconate has been reported to have relatively higher bioavailability, and also less acidic and can cause less gastric mucosal injury compared to zinc acetate and zinc sulfate.

Additionally, by incorporating prebiotics, which correspond to food that we feed to “good bacteria” in our body, such as bifido bacteria, which in turn play a significant role in enhancing the immune system, could result in further reduction and prevention of muscle fatigue. Interestingly, impaired immune system can also be directly involved in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue, a fact established by human trials.

Now, imagine a product that has both physiologically active zinc and prebiotics in a soluble form smartly incorporated in an oral rehydration solution, which meets WHO, GOLD standard for oral rehydration solution therapy. I shall leave it to the liberty of curious leaders to find out the answer for themselves.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS 1. M. Kugelmas, Preliminary observation: oral zinc sulfate replacement is effective in treating muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients, J Am Coll Nutr, 2000, 19, 13–15. 2. D. Jahic and E. Begic, Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramp-Doubts About the Cause, Mater Sociomed, 2018, 30, 67–69. 3. A. Micheletti, R. Rossi and S. Rufini, Zinc status in athletes: Relation to diet and exercise, Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2001, 31, 577–82. 4. R. B. Jones, P. W. N. Keeling, P. J. Hilton and R. P. H. Thompson, The Relationship between Leucocyte and Muscle Zinc in Health and Disease, Clinical Science, 1981, 60, 237–239. 5. A. Sapota, A. Daragó, M. Skrzypińska-Gawrysiak, M. Nasiadek, M. Klimczak and A. Kilanowicz, The bioavailability of different zinc compounds used as human dietary supplements in rat prostate: a comparative study, Biometals, 2014, 27, 495–505. 6. M. Kilic, Effect of fatiguing bicycle exercise on thyroid hormone and testosterone levels in sedentary males supplemented with oral zinc, Neuro Endocrinol. Lett., 2007, 28, 681–685.

Saji CuhaWijay RACI Committee

RACI E-News November 2019

https://chemaxon.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=advert&utm_campaign=RACI

RACI E-News November 2019

NATA Metrology Society of Australasia Conference 2020

Invited Speakers • Dr Barry Inglis, retired President of the CIPM, “The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and its Role in the 21st Century”. • Dr Murray Early, Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand, “The 2019 SI Redefinition: Now what?”. • Dr Jonathan Mittaz, University of Reading, UK, “Applying principles of metrology to Earth Observation satellite data”. Conference Schedule The preliminary conference schedule is as follows: Monday 2nd March 2020 Welcome reception (evening) Tuesday 3rd March 2020 Conference Day 1 Wednesday 4th March 2020 Conference Day 2 Thursday 5th March 2020 Conference Day 3

For further info and registration, please visit https://metrology.asn.au/msaconnected/msaconferencehome

Annual Cornforth Lecture -Wednesday, 13 November, 2019

This year, the lecture will be delivered by Sir Gregory Winter FRS. Sir Gregory shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in phage technology and the creation of humanized monoclonal antibodies, which have revolutionized medical therapeutics.

To RSVP, please follow this link.

• Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2019 • Time: 6pm • Venue: Charles Perkins Centre Lecture Theatre, University of Sydney, Camperdown. Following the lecture, there will be an optional dinner at the Holme Building for those who would like to dine with Sir Gregory Winter. The cost of this dinner is $140 per person.

RACI E-News November 2019

Macquarie ConocoPhillips Science Experience, January 20-22, 2020

Registrations are now open for the Macquarie ConocoPhillips Science Experience, January 20-22, 2020 at https://www.scienceexperience.com.au/. This event will provide an action-packed 3 days of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at Macquarie University that is perfect for students entering years 9, 10 or 11 in 2020. This event is coordinated by Macquarie University and the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP, see www.nisep.org.au). For a taster of the 2020 event, please go to https://youtu.be/fv-WLZNa38k for highlights of the 2019 event.

A/Prof Joanne Jamie Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemist Department of Molecular Sciences Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109 Australia

Indigenous Bioresources Research Group Co-Director and National Indigenous Science Education Program Co-Director (see www.facebook.com/NISEP.MQ, www.nisep.org.au and www.youtube.com/user/NISEPmq)

GRAND PRIX 2020 - FONDATION DE LA MAISON DE LA CHIMIE - Appel à candidatures/Call for nominations

RACI E-News November 2019

. Information sheet and application form are available on the website at: https://actions.maisondelachimie.com/les-prix-de-la-fondation/grand-prix-de-la-fondation/

Please send the completed entry form accompanied by a report in French or English, detailing the arguments for the nomination to Roger Read. ([email protected])

Roger W Read, FRACI FRSN. Hon Associate Professor | School of Chemistry Room G07 | Dalton Building (F12) The University of New South Wales | UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 | Australia

Welcome New Members Update- October 2019

We would like to welcome all new NSW members who joined the RACI in October 2019. As a professional membership organisation, we provide networking and special interest events during the year. Details of all Branch events can be found on the website: www.raci.org.au/branches/nsw-branch

Title Name Member Type Ms Lisa Hua Student Mr Zac Arkley-Smith Student Mrs Parya Samadi Ghandehari Student A/Prof Edward York Student Mr James Watson PG Student Miss Elene Tatunashvili PG Student Mrs Amber Brown PG Student Ms Alisha Deo PG Student Dr Damian Moran MRACI Mr Alexander Visotin MRACI CChem Mr Harry Xia Associate

60 seconds with new RACI member – Dr Nathaniel Corrigan

Nathaniel Corrigan received his PhD in Chemical Engineering under the supervision of Prof Cyrille Boyer at UNSW Sydney in 2019. His PhD thesis focussed on the combination of visible light mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) and flow chemistry for advanced macromolecular synthesis. He is currently a research associate at UNSW Sydney where his research focuses on exploiting visible light for controlled radical polymerization, flow chemistry, and materials synthesis via 3D printing approaches.

RACI E-News November 2019

• Why did you decide to join RACI? I joined RACI to get more involved with the Australian chemical community and stay up to date with events and opportunities supported by RACI.

• What is your current occupation? I am currently a research associate at UNSW Sydney, working in the Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design.

• What made you get into chemistry? I grew up in a house surrounded by gardens, with a huge variety of plants including nasturtiums, and always wondered why the leaves of the nasturtiums repelled water while other plants didn’t. My curiosities for how things worked around me growing up were largely explained by chemistry, and once I realised that atoms made up everything around me, I was hooked. I wanted to know what things were made of, how they were made, and why they behaved differently (and still do).

• Do you use chemistry in your everyday life? If so, how? Of course! I use chemistry to breathe, get energy from food, and more recently, brew beer at home. I am hoping chemistry can help me make a palatable pale ale.

• Do you have a favourite reaction? I enjoy photochemistry, so reactions like photosynthesis and bioluminescence are among my favourites. Light is everywhere in our lives, and I think it’s fascinating that this innocuous energy source can be used to drive complex chemical transformations.

• What do you like to do outside of chemistry? I am an avid sports fan and a tragic NBA fan and will watch any sport given the opportunity. I also love exploring the great outdoors and going for a surf when I can.

• How can the RACI help you in your current role? RACI can help me by continuing to organise events related to polymer science. The Australian polymer community is so strong and I’m looking forward to becoming more involved through RACI.

RACI News page Visit the RACI News page for all news and events nationwide: https://www.raci.org.au/raci-news The RACI News page on the website has been recently relaunched by our Communications Officer Anna Ahveninen. On this page you can keep up to date with National events and activities that may be happening in your local area. If there is an event you would like published through social media, please contact Anna at: [email protected] and she will be sure to assist you any way she can.

If you’d like to keep up with the latest updates from the RACI on the web page and on social media, please visit the following: Read latest RACI news here. Facebook: RACInational, Young Chemists Group of NSW LinkedIn: RACI company page Twitter: @RACInational or @RACI_NSW Instagram: racinational, racinsw

RACI E-News November 2019

Would you like to become a RACI Fellow? The RACI Fellow Membership grade is awarded in recognition of a RACI Member (MRACI) who is in a position of eminence within the chemistry profession. Election to this grade is based on: • Services rendered to the RACI • Academic qualifications and honours • Experience and status • Creative achievement in chemistry • Responsibility and contribution to chemical science Acceptance as a RACI Fellow will be based on the recommendation of the RACI Assessment Committee. Further information: mailto:[email protected]

Congratulations to a RACI Fellow, A/Professor Elizabeth New- The winner of 2019 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year Associate Professor Elizabeth New, University of Sydney was announced as 2019 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year at the Prime Minister's Science Prizes ceremony held at Parliament House, Canberra on 16 October 2019.

The NSW Branch would like to congratulate her on this momentous achievement and the recognition of her ground breaking research work in enabling the visualisation of cellular processes in living cells.

Prof New is a Fellow of the RACI and was recent Chair of the RACI NSW Women in Chemistry Group and the RACI NSW Nyholm Youth Lecturer in 2014/2015. She is recognised for her work in developing new chemical imaging tools used to observe cells & how they could be the key to understanding diseases & their treatment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCslKwOfzc4 Want to contribute to the NSW Branch newsletter? The NSW Branch would like to hear from members with news items that may be of interest to the membership. Do you know of any interesting stories or projects that are making a difference, or events that you would like to share with readers? If so, please send an email to [email protected] Deadline for content is the Tuesday before the end of month.

For enquiries: RACI NSW Branch Office: (02) 9663 4960 RACI National Office (Vale St, North Melbourne): (03) 9328 2033 Positions vacant? We invite employers to supply 150-word maximum job advertisements, along with a small company logo and clear contact details or weblink. Please email [email protected]

“Chemistry in Australia” The Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s magazine for and about the chemical science professions Click here to find a free pdf of each month’s full issue.