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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 March 2019 Vol. XCVII, No.7 N • AMERI

Monthly Meeting

2018 Richards Award to Chad A. Mirkin at Harvard Who Was Theodore William Richards?

By M. S. Simon Volunteering with the Pharmacopeia

By Chris Moreton Carolyn R. Bertozzi to Receive 2019 Esselen Award rings of Saturn through a four-inch tele- and precise. Hence, in trying to satisfy Who was scope by Professor Josiah Parsons a desire which had as its object the dis- Cooke, Jr. of Harvard while the family covery of more knowledge concerning Theodore was at Newport, R.I. the fundamental nature of things, one At ten he was making Pharaoh’s naturally assigns to the atomic weights Serpents with mercuric thiocyanate and an important place.” William coloring flames with various salts. He In the following years Richards and obtained money to set up a his students (if we include independent Richards? laboratory when he was 13 by printing of Baxter and Hönigschmid, who on a hand press, copywriting, and sell- had been trained by him) determined the by M.S. Simon ing an edition of his mother’s sonnets. atomic weight of 55 of the 92 known el- Adapted from The NUCLEUS, 1996 (3) He was allowed to attend chemistry ements, in many cases in parts per ten 4 ff lectures at the University of Pennsylva- thousand, in some, parts per hundred nia, and at 14 entered and studied chem- thousand. All of the elements whose The first award of what, at that time, istry at Haverford. He received the atomic weights were the basis for deter- was known as the Theodore William Bachelor of Science at 17. He went to mining the atomic weights of other ele- Richards Gold Medal (the medal is still Harvard to study under Cooke and re- ments were determined. His work on gold, with a silver replica for informal ceived a Bachelor of Arts and, at 20, from uranium and from non-ra- display) was made to Arthur Amos after a year of very difficult research in dioactive sources advanced acceptance Noyes in 1932. The Section Chairman, which he demonstrated exceptional ex- of the theory of , the only con- William Ryan, introduced the occasion perimental skills in determining the clusive evidence until the development with the following quotation by Henry atomic weight ratio of to hydro- of the mass spectrograph. Watterson: gen in water, earned the Ph.D. degree. He was always respectful to those A mound of earth a little higher graded A year in gave him the opportu- on whose shoulders he was standing, J.J. Perhaps upon a stone a chiselled name, nity of studying analytical techniques at Berzelius and J.S. Stas, pioneers in A daub of printer’s ink soon blurred and Göttingen and visiting important labo- atomic weight determination, but when faded ratories in Germany, France, England, his superior methods showed that the And then — oblivion. That — that is and Switzerland. Stas values had to be revised, he took fame. He returned to Harvard in 1889 as the mantle on his own shoulders. A an assistant and remained there for the modest man, only after searching dili- Ryan went to point out that Watterson, rest of his years. When Cooke died, in gently for his own possible errors would as an observer in national politics, had 1892, Richards, already an assistant pro- he conclude that the Stas work had to be developed a cynical attitude toward self- fessor, was sent to Ostwald at Leipzig superseded. seeking politicians, and Ryan contrasts and Nernst at Göttingen to prepare him- He was guided to success by “his the impermanence of reputation of such self to become the instructor in physical ability to foresee all sources of error and with the seekers of truth for truth’s sake chemistry. His rise to full professorship possible calamities which the average for whom true fame is imperishable. at Harvard in 1901 came quickly, when investigator would have overlooked With reference to Richards he said, Göttingen attempted to recruit him. completely,” reported his son-in-law, “True fame ... lives on, not merely to His early work centered one what James B. Conant. perpetuate the name of the individual at the time was one of the major scien- Richards put it thus, “Every sub- and his accomplishments, but rather to tific problems, that of determining exact stance must be assumed to be impure, inspire and encourage others who are atomic weights. He explained his every reaction must be assumed to be in- serving similar ends.” choice, “not merely because I felt more complete, every method of measurement But in our age, when only “fifteen competent in that direction than in any must be assumed to contain some con- minutes” of fame are allowed, it be- other, but also because atomic weights stant error, until proof to the contrary hooves us to keep alive the names and seemed to be one of the primal mysteries can be obtained. As little as possible accomplishments of our predecessors in of the universe. They are values which must be taken for granted.” chemistry. The Northeastern Section has no man by taking thought can change. It is illuminating to consider that many great , but the earliest of They seem to be independent of place much of his work was conducted in the internationally renowned was and time. They are silent witnesses of the Boylston Hall, where his laboratory had Theodore William Richards. His Nobel very beginnings of the universe, and the been a stockroom, where the sashes Prize in Chemistry, awarded in 1914, half-hidden, half-disclosed symmetry of of the fume hood rained rust, and a flood was the first given an American . the periodic system of the elements only on the floor above caused the ceiling to He was born in Germantown in enhances one’s curiosity about them. collapse on him; where fumes from else- 1868, was educated at home by his Moreover, among the many properties where in the building could ruin his ex- mother, a poet, and his father, a marine possessed by an element, the atomic periments. Finally, the Wolcott Gibbs artist. He became interested in science weight seems one of the most definite at the age of six when he was shown the continued on page 8

2 The Nucleus March 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. Who Was Theodore William Richards? 2 e-mail: [email protected] ______NESACS Homepage: By Myron S. Simon http://www.NESACS.org Officers 2019 Carolynn R. Bertozzi to Receive 2019 Esselen Award 4 Chair ______Andrew Scholte Sanofi-Genzyme Monthly Meeting 5 153 2nd Ave ______Waltham, MA 02451-1122 Richards Award Meeting at Harvard, Chad A. Mirkin, , [email protected] to receive 2018 Richards Award. Chair-Elect Anna W. Sromek Volunteering with the United States Pharmacopeia 6 115 Mill Street, ______Belmont, MA 02478 [email protected] Past Recipients of the Theodore Williams Richards Award 8 Immediate Past Chair ______Mindy Levine 2019 Quantum Matters Competition 9 35 Cottage St ______Sharon, MA 02067-2130 (516)697-9688 Professor Joseph S. Francisco to speak at Northeastern 10 [email protected] ______Secretary Michael Singer Invite for the CCEW Event at the Museum of Science Boston 11 MilliporeSigma ___ 400 Summit Drive, Burlington, MA 01803 (781)-229-7037, Photos from the January Monthly Meeting 12 [email protected] ______Treasurer By Brian D’Amico Ashis Saha 67 Bow St A Cartoon by Sidney Harris 14 Arlington, MA 02474-2744 ______(978)212-5462 Business Directory 15 [email protected] ______Archivist Ken Mattes Seminar Calendar 16 Trustees ______Dorothy Phillips, Ruth Tanner, Peter C. Meltzer Cover: Directors-at-Large 2018 Richards Award Recipient, Professor Chad A. Mirkin, Northwest- David Harris, June Lum, Michael P. Filosa, ern University (Photograph by Matt Gilson). John M. Burke, James U. Piper, Ralph Scannell Councilors/Alternate Councilors Editorial Deadlines: Term Ends 12/31/2019 May 2019 Issue: March 22, 2019 R. Gilbert Mary A. Mahaney Summer-September Issue: July 22, 2019 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 Sofia 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 March 2019 3 sugars and to discern the differences be- Carolyn R. tween the cell surfaces of healthy and NESACS Sponsors 2017 cancerous cells. Dr. Bertozzi focuses on Platinum $5000+ Bertozzi to bringing her research closer to clinical Boston Foundation Esselen Award practice and many of her current proj- SK Life Science ects are aimed at solving specific clini- Amgen, Inc Receive cal problems in the areas of cancer, Johnson Matthey inflammation and bacterial infection. 2019 The Gustavus John Esselen Award Vertex Pharmaceuticals for Chemistry in the Public Interest hon- Davos Pharma ors outstanding scientific achievement Biogen Esselen in scientific and technical work which PCI Synthesis contributes to the public well-being and Navin International Ltd Award has thereby communicated the positive Gold $3000 up to $5000 values of the chemical profession. The Merck Research Corp award is presented annually by the Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Ph.D., Anne T. and Signal Pharmaceuticals Northeastern Section of the American Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry J-Star Research and Professor of Chemical and Systems Chemical Society and has honored such publicly renowned chemists as Robert IPG Women Chemists and Radiology, Stanford Uni- Abbvie versity; Howard Hughes Medical Insti- Langer ( for medical applica- tute Investigator; Baker Family co- tions), (polymerase chain Silver $1500 up to $3000 Director of ChEM-H is being presented reaction) and Chad Mirkin (nanostruc- Mettler Toledo with the Gustavus John Esselen Award tures in chemistry, biology and medi- Sanofi US Services for Chemistry in the Public Interest for cine). The Esselen Award is given to Warp Drive Bio honor the memory of G. J. Esselen, past her work in the advancement of Pfizer bioorthogonal chemistry. In one appli- chair of the Northeastern Section and founder of Esselen Research Corpora- LAVIANA cation, Dr. Bertozzi studies the interac- Strem Chemicals tion of glycans on cell surfaces and has tion. developed imaging tools that allow re- In recognition of her contributions, Bronze $500 up to $1500 searchers to attach probes to specific Dr. Bertozzi will receive the Gustavus Chemical Computing Group continued on page 5 Xtuit Pharmaceuticals Cydan Development Inc Achillion Pharmaceuticals Alkermes FLAMMA Safety Partners Inc Piramal Pharma ’ 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 March 2019 Monthly Meeting Biography: Dr. Chad A. Mirkin is the Director of the th International Institute for Nanotechnol- The 986 Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American ogy and the George B. Rathmann Prof. Chemical Society of Chemistry, Chemical and Biological 2018 Richards Medal Award Meeting Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Thursday, March 14, 2019 Medicine at Northwestern University. Harvard University - Loeb House He is a chemist and a world-renowned 17 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 nanoscience expert, who is known for 5:30 pm Reception (Loeb House) his discovery and development of spher- 17 Quincy Street ical nucleic acids (SNAs) and SNA- based biodetection and therapeutic 6:30 pm Dinner (Loeb House) schemes, Dip-Pen Nanolithography 8:15 pm Richards Medal Award Ceremony (DPN) and related cantilever-free Mallinckrodt Building, Pfizer Lecture Hall - MB23, nanopatterning methodologies, On-Wire 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA. Lithography (OWL), and Co-Axial Li- thography (COAL), and contributions to Andrew Scholte, NESACS Chair, Presiding supramolecular chemistry and nanopar- Reflections on Theodore William Richards ticle synthesis. He is the author of over 730 manu- Introduction of the 42nd Richards Medalist scripts and over 1,100 patent applica- tions worldwide (over 300 issued), and 2018 Richards Medalist the founder of multiple companies, in- Professor Chad A. Mirkin, Director of the International Institute for cluding AuraSense, Exicure, TERA- and the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chem- print, and CDJ Technologies. istry, Chemical and Biological, Materials Science & Engineering and Mirkin has been recognized with Medicine, Northwestern University. over 130 national and international Title: Rational Vaccinology: In Pursuit of the Perfect Vaccine awards, including the Wilhelm Exner YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE TO ATTEND THE MEETING: continued on page 14 DINNER RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED Abstract: • For those who would like to join us for dinner, register by noon, Thursday, March 7, using Eventbrite. Rational Vaccinology: In • To register, please use the link at: http://www.nesacs.eventbrite.com/ Pursuit of the Perfect Vaccine • Cost: Members, $30; Non-members, $35; Retirees, $20; Students, $10. Din- ner reservations not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance will not be re- Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) are an funded. emergent therapeutic architecture, • New members or those seeking additional information, contact the NESACS which consist of oligonucleotides radi- administrative coordinator, Anna Singer, at [email protected] ally conjugated to a nanoparticle core. This arrangement of DNA or RNA gives Parking: Free parking in the Broadway St. Garage (3rd level or higher), enter u rise to unique properties not observed from Cambridge Street via Felton, St. with their linear counterparts, such as rapid cellular uptake and increased re- sistance to nuclease degradation. The emergent properties of SNAs are revo- lutionizing the way we study, track, and Carolyn R. Bertozzi public, Dr. Bertozzi’s award lecture, to treat disease and may help realize the follow the presentation, is entitled promise of rational vaccinology: eluci- Continued from page 4 “Chemical Approaches to Problems in dating and leveraging the structure-ac- John Esselen Award for Chemistry in Global Health.” tivity relationships of SNAs to arrive at the Public Interest on Thursday, April Further information concerning the the most potent immunostimulatory 11, 2019, in a ceremony at Harvard Uni- award can be found at the Northeastern construct. We are advancing this vision u versity’s Mallinckrodt Chemistry Labo- Section’s website, www.nesacs.org. forward by treating tumors with ratories at 8pm. Free and open to the continued on page 14

The Nucleus March 2019 5 Volunteering with the United States Pharmacopeia By Chris Moreton, FinnBrit Consulting The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) tion in US law that the USP–NF has, but chapters, and preparation of Stimuli ar- is one of three sets of official standards it is nevertheless a well-recognized set ticles. I have also given presentations on recognized under the US Food Drug and of standards for food ingredients. behalf of USP–NF in the US at different Cosmetic Act; the other two are the Na- The USP-NF 5-year Revision conferences, and also in Brazil and tional Formulary (NF) and the Homeo- Cycle coincides with quinquennial USP China. I enjoy the work with USP–NF pathic Pharmacopeia of the United Convention meeting. The next meeting very much. I have met some very good States. The USP is published by the will be in May 2020. There are more friends through my USP–NF volunteer United States Pharmacopeial Conven- than 300 official delegates to the USP work. I find the work interesting and tion, Inc. (also called USP), headquar- Convention including representatives stimulating; it is a pleasant interlude to tered in Rockville, MD. The current from state medical boards, pharmacy my day job. I also find it very satisfying CEO of USP is Dr. Ron Piervincenzi. boards, nursing boards, and dental to be able to contribute to improving the USP has a permanent staff and labora- boards, trade organizations and govern- lives of people in the US and around the tories at its headquarters in Rockville, ment departments. At this meeting, the world. MD and satellite laboratories in China, members of the Board of Trustees The USP–NF is looking for a wide India and Brazil. It also has further satel- (USP’s governing body) and the chairs variety of scientific expertise and skills, lite office in Switzerland, Brazil and of the Expert Committees will be and not just experts based in the United Ghana and it recently expanded its pres- elected for the 2020–2025 revision States. In the current Expert Commit- ence to Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nigeria and cycle. The chairs of the different Expert tees, we have members from Europe, the Philippines. USP’s work is sup- Committees comprise the members of Asia and South America. The skills USP ported by a network of Expert Commit- the Council of Experts. The Chair of the is looking for include (in no particular tees and Expert Panels staffed by Council of Experts is USP’s Chief Sci- order): volunteer experts. I have been a volun- entific Officer, Dr. Jaap Venema. • Analytical methods teer with USP since the year 2000. Following the election of the chairs • Small drugs The USP was first published in of the Expert Committees, the new • and biotechnology drugs 1820. This makes it one of the oldest of chairs, together with USP staff, will se- • Product development the modern pharmacopeias. Originally, lect the other members of the Expert • Formulation science it was revised every 10 years. The first Committees who will serve for the du- Committee of Revision was established ration of the revision cycle. In addition, • Regulatory science in 1830. Later, it was revised every five during the course of the revision cycle, • Microbiology years, and the USP continues to operate Expert Panels will also very likely be set • Pharmaceutical materials science on a five-year Revision Cycle. How- up. These panels are typically set up to • ever, the book is now revised and re-is- address a specific issue where extra ex- • Safety/toxicology sued annually with two supplements per pertise in a particular field, beyond that • Pharmaceutical packaging technology year. This change in the revision sched- of the members of the expert committee • Statistics ules reflects the increasing number, is required. All in all, USP is looking for • Dietary supplements range and complexity of pharmaceutical several thousand potential volunteers, • Food ingredients products, the ever-increasing sophistica- from both academia and industry. Not • Pharmaceutical compounding tion of drug substances, and the need for all volunteers will get elected to an Ex- better specifications and control meth- pert Committee, but there will then be The list of areas for the Expert Commit- ods for modern medicines. further opportunities as Expert Panels tees in the 2020 – 2025 Revision In 1975, the administration of the are formed. The independent experts se- Cycle include: NF was taken over by USP. Officially, lected for the Expert Panels will typi- • Excipients the USP and the NF are two separate cally come from those people whose • Reference Materials books. However, they are now pub- names are on the list of volunteers. • Statistics lished together in the same set of vol- As I mentioned, I have been a • Compounding umes and the title is now the United USP–NF volunteer since 2000. During • Food Ingredients States Pharmacopeia-National Formu- my time as a volunteer, I have been in- • Dietary Supplements and Herbal lary (USP–NF). There is also one fur- volved in the development of new Medicines ther set of standards published by USP: monographs, revision of existing mono- The Food Chemicals Codex (FCC). graphs, development of new general • Biological Medicines This does not have the official recogni- chapters, revision of existing general continued on page 7 6 The Nucleus March 2019 Volunteering with to time, but as long as these are properly terms of time are likely. A face-to-face declared, they can be managed. You will meeting may be arranged, but it is not Pharmacopeia also be expected to take part in all as- certain. Continued from page 6 pects of the work of your Expert Com- It is recognized that there will be mittee; this includes participation in the scheduling conflicts from time to time – • Health Information and Technology monthly conference calls, attendance at we all have day jobs; however, if you • Nomenclature and Labeling the face-to-face meetings and participa- are considered not to be pulling your • Healthcare Safety and Quality tion in e-mail discussions. All the pro- weight, you will be contacted and asked • Microbiology ceedings of USP–NF committees are if you want to continue. Occasionally, • Packaging and Distribution confidential and you will be required to an Expert Committee volunteer finds • Physical Analytical Methods sign a confidentiality agreement. that they cannot continue to take a full • Dosage Forms Expert Panels work somewhat dif- part in the Committee’s work. If this • Measurement and Data Quality ferently. However, if selected you would happens, for whatever reason, you are still be required to declare any potential allowed to resign from your committee. • Chemical Analytical Methods conflicts of interest and abide by the A replacement will be found from the • Chemical Medicines confidentiality rules. Expert Panels are USP–NF’s list of volunteers. [Please note, there may be more than typically set up for a shorter term (one To volunteer for the USP–NF one Expert Committee in a particular to two years). Similar commitments in 2020–2025 Revision Cycle is quite easy. area.] continued on page 13 So, what are the commitments of being a USP-NF volunteer? Typically, volunteers spend two to four hours per week on official USP business outside of any travel to meetings. As a member of a USP–NF Expert Committee, you will be invited to attend face-to-face meetings in Rockville once or twice per year. These typically are two-day meet- ings and USP will pay all travel and ac- commodation expenses, but it does mean time away from the office. Atten- dance is not compulsory, but you will be asked to make every effort to attend. These face-to-face meetings are very valuable for resolving any differences, and they are also great networking op- portunities. There is typically a monthly conference call lasting from one to two hours as well. In addition, there are e- mail inquiries and documents to read ahead to prepare for conference calls and meetings. Necessarily, these calls will take place during the normal work- ing day. For these reasons, if you are in- terested in becoming a volunteer, you should get permission from your em- ployer. There are some other aspects of being a USP–NF volunteer you should be aware of. First and foremost, if selected for an Expert Committee, you are there as an independent scientist. You are not representing your company or institution, or any other organization with which you may be associated. The USP–NF has a strict conflict of interest Learn more at facebook.com/STEMJourney policy. It is recognized that volunteers or capecodsciencecafe.tumblr.com will have conflicts of interest from time

The Nucleus March 2019 7 Recipients of the Theodore William Richards Medal for Conspicuous Achievement in Chemistry

1932 Theodore William Richards 1960 Robert Sanderson Mulliken 1990 Rudolph A. Marcus (Posthumously) 1962 Saul Winstein 1992 John F. Waugh 1932 1964 1994 Richard H. Holm 1934 Gregory Paul Baxter 1966 Paul Doughty Bartlett 1996 JoAnne Stubbe 1936 Charles August Kraus 1968 George Bogdan Kistiakowsky 1998 K. Barry Sharpless 1938 Gilbert Newton Lewis 1970 William vonEggers Doering 2000 Mostafa A. El-Sayed 1940 Claude Silbert Hudson 1972 William Howard Stein 2002 Stephen J. Lippard 1942 Frederick George Keyes 1972 2004 1946 1974 2006 Richard R. Schrock 1947 1976 Frank H. Westheimer 2008 Robert G. Bergman 1948 Edwin Joseph Cohn 1978 Edgar Bright Wilson 2010 Richard N. Zare 1950 1980 2012 Tobin Jay Marks 1952 Morris Selig Kharasch 1982 John D. Roberts 2014 Harry B. Gray 1954 George Scatchard 1984 Ronald C. D. Breslow 2016 Gabor A. Somorjai u 1956 1986 F. Albert Cotton 2018 Chad Mirkin 1958 1988 Walter H. Stockmayer

Theodore Richards and L.J. Henderson) of an adiabatic CLEUS. The Scientific Work of calorimeter led to studies of specific Theodore William Richards is the title Continued from page 2 of acids, bases and salts, heats of of a Ph.D. dissertation by Sheldon J. Memorial Laboratory, a gift of Dr. Mor- and dilution, heats of neutral- Kopperl, U. Wisconsin, Madison, 1970, u ris Loeb, was built in 1912 and Richards ization and the thermochemistry of or- 333-359. had the facilities his work deserved. ganic compounds. The concentration on atomic His laboratory attracted students weights suggests that Richards was from many other countries to learn the solely an analytical chemist. Indeed, he methods of the Harvard school. His abil- was a superb analytical experimentalist, ity to devise methods which could give but his work in other areas of physical superb results in the hands of students chemistry formed an important part of led to volumes of published research. the total picture. His work began at the The list of his students includes many of period when was the most capable physical chemists of aborning; van’t Hoff, Arrhenius, Ost- the first half of the twentieth century. wald, Nernst were the new names and At his death in 1928 the Northeast- the Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie ern Section appealed for funds to set up was founded in 1887. Richards’ first stu- a memorial and, with ‘gratifying re- dent in physical chemistry was G.N. sponse’, raised a sum of ten thousand Lewis, to whom he assigned the study dollars in a few months. The Theodore of the and thermo- William Richards Gold Medal was de- chemistry of amalgam cells. Richards signed by Cyrus Dallin, a distinguished rejected the belief of that day that atoms sculptor and friend of Richards. were incompressible, developed evi- A more complete account of the ca- dence that atomic volumes change, and, reer of Richards may be found in a lec- according to Lewis, very nearly discov- ture delivered by Sir Harold Hartley and ered the third law of in recorded in the Journal of the Chemical his studies of the relationship of changes Society (London), 1930, 1930-1968, in free and total energy accom- from which much of this article was panying a reaction. taken. Other sources include the Ency- His invention (with G.S. Forbes clopedia Britannica and The NU-

8 The Nucleus March 2019 Call for Entries 2019 Quantum Matters™ Competition

Explain one key aspect of quantum science and technology to a family audience

Two ways to win: Finalists earn stipends, cash prizes, • Deliver a 3-minute talk expert coaching, travel to Boston, • Design a hands-on activity filming, and more

Entries Due: March 1, 2019 Finals: April 5-6, Museum of Science, Boston Learn more: www.mos.org/quantum-matters-competition

Sponsored by the Museum of Science, Boston with funding from the National Science Foundation (# 1231319)

The Nucleus March 2019 9

From Atmospheric Complexes to Aerosols: New Insights into Atmospheric Chemistry

Friday, March 29th, 2019 Richards Hall Room 236 | Lecture - 11:45 am – 12:45 pm | Reception - 1:00 pm Introduction by Professor Hicham Fenniri, PROFESSOR JOSEPH S. FRANCISCO The chemistry in our atmosphere governs phenomena such as , acid rain, and . Having a firm understanding of all chemical processes at the molecular level in the atmosphere will allow for the development of accurate global climate models. This talk will discuss some of the more traditional chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere, and how water influences both the mechanism and kinetic of atmospheric reactions. How gas-phase materials become incorporated with cloud droplets has been an intriguing subject for decades, and considerable work has been done to understand the interactions between closed- shell and water. The interactions between radical species and the air/water interface of cloud droplets, however, are not well understood. Fundamental structure and interactions of radical-molecules are critical to understanding binding, the configuration, and orientation of radicals the interface. This has important ramifications for our understanding of radical chemistry and lends new insight into the role that clouds and aerosols play in processing chemistry in the atmosphere.

Dr. Joseph S. Francisco completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at UT Austin and his Ph.D. in Chemical at MIT. After a fellowship at the (UK), he returned to MIT as a Provost Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Francisco is currently the President's Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences and professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. His work appeared in over 600 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Francisco received numerous awards, fellowships and recognitions throughout his career, including NSF’s Presidential Young Investigator Award, the Sloan Fellowship, the Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Percy L. Julian Award for Pure and Applied Research, the ACS Morley Medal (Cleveland section), and the Alexander von Humboldt Award for U.S. Senior Scientists. Dr. Francisco is an ACS, APS, and AAAS Fellow. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Francisco was honored on the floor of the 113th U.S. House of Representatives and received honorary degrees (Honoris Causa) from several universities.

Dr. Francisco served as President of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (2005-2007). He also served as President of the American Chemical Society (2010) and as a member of its Board of Directors (2009-2011). President appointed Dr. Francisco as a member of the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science (2010-2015).

Hosted by:

Department of Chemical Engineering

10 The Nucleus March 2019 Invite for the CCEW event at the MoS, Boston: Saturday April 13, 2019

Dear All: The NESACS and MoS will be celebrating Chemists Celebrate Earth Week at the Blue Wing of MoS on Sat- urday April 13, 2019 from 11.00 am - 3.00 pm. The event starts at 9.00 am with a training session. The theme for Chemists Celebrate Earth Week event this year is Paper, “Take Note: The Chemistry of Paper”. We encourage teams to bring their own activities related to the current theme. If you don’t have one, please mention it on the sign-up sheet. We can provide you with activities. Looking forward to having science at the fun-filled STEM outreach event. After this event, the science educators can enjoy the Cambridge Science Festival happening in the same area. Here is the schedule: Arrival/Training: 9:00 – 10:30am 1st shift activities: 10:30am – 1:00pm (includes set-up time) 2nd shift activities: 12:30pm – 3:30pm (includes clean-up time) Please complete the online form by Feb 15, 2019 (Friday). This would greatly assist the organizers with ordering t-shirts for our science educators (volunteers).

SIGN UP GOOGLE FORM: https://goo.gl/forms/9gDDJIrynonR1JfO2

Please enter the Name of your Institution, Title of your activity, Name & e-mail of the contact person from your Institute, names of all the science educators from your Institute, number of t-shirts (+ t-shirt sizes) for your team members at the above link. We request the team leader from your institution to e-mail the organizers (Jay: [email protected], David: [email protected] & Emily: [email protected]) the following information by March 1, 2019 (Friday). (a) Title of your activity (b) Abstract (c) List of chemicals to be used for the planned activity

We hope to have as many activities as possible at the Earth Day Event. All the science educators will receive an Earth Day t-shirt. As always, thanks for your commitment and enthusiasm. Dr. Ranga u On behalf of Salem State University, NESACS, and MoS

The Nucleus March 2019 11 January 2019 Monthly Meeting

Photos by Brian D’Amico.

(l-r) Andrew Scholte (NESACS Chair), Mindy Levine (NESACS Past- (l-r) Dorothy Phillips (ACS Director-at-Large), Michael Filosa (Nucleus Chair), Bonnie Charpentier (ACS President). Editor), Bonnie Charpentier (ACS President).

(l-r) Bonnie Charpentier (ACS President), Andrew Scholte (NESACS Bonnie Charpentier (ACS President) having a conversation about “The Chair), Christopher Thiele (Alnylam Pharmaceuticals), Anna Sromek ACS Community and Priorities for 2019.” (NESACS Chair-Elect).

Bonnie Charpentier (ACS President) during the Q&A session. At the NESACS Younger Chemists and Women Chemists Committees Luncheon in Honor of ACS President Bonnie Charpentier. continued on page 13

12 The Nucleus March 2019 Volunteering With and to select which type of Expert Com- change accordingly. This will create op- mittee(s) you wish to apply for (you are portunities for yet more people to be- Pharmacopeia u allowed to apply for more than one type come involved. Continued from page 7 or field). Go to the USP website (www.usp.org). One final point, to reiterate, not every- Place your cursor over ‘About’, and one who volunteers will be selected for Q. Exactly, how many awards and click on Volunteer Experts. Click on an Expert Committee on the first round. scholarships does NESACS sponsor? ‘Become a Volunteer Expert’ and then Do not be disheartened, there will very click on ‘Apply Now’. Alternatively, likely be other opportunities as Expert A) One b) Two c) Many contact me at a NESACS Meeting and Panels are set up, existing members step ask me for a card with the QR code to down, etc. The pharmaceutical and nu- www.nesacs.org/awards take you straight to the site and page. traceutical worlds are very dynamic; Once at the page you will be asked to things are changing almost every day provide a summary of your expertise and the USP–NF and FCC have to

January 2019 Monthly Meeting

Continued from page 12

Andrew Scholte (NESACS Chair), at left, presents Mindy Levine (NESACS Doris Lewis (Chair, NESACS Government Relations Committee) discusses Past-Chair) with her Past-Chair pin from the ACS. chemistry and science education advocacy programs at the state and local levels with attendees of the meeting.

(l-r) Mindy Levine (NESACS Past-Chair), Andrew Scholte (NESACS (l-r) Tom Gilbert (NESACS Councilor), Jackie O’Neil (Alkermes), Jens Chair), Dajit Matharu (NESACS Alternate Councilor), Lee Latimer (ACS Breffke (Boston Electronics), Zemen Berhe (NSYCC Career Chair). Director-at-Large), Michael Singer (NESACS Secretary).

The Nucleus March 2019 13 A Cartoon by Sidney Harris Biography Continued from page 5 Medal, the RUSNANOPRIZE, the Dan David Prize, and the inaugural Sackler Prize in Convergence Research. He was an eight-year Member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Tech- nology (Obama Administration), and one of very few scientists to be elected to all three US National Academies. He is also a Fellow of the American Acad- emy of Arts and Sciences, the American Chemical Society, and the National Academy of Inventors, among others. Mirkin has served on the Editorial Advisory Boards of over 20 scholarly journals, including JACS, Angew. Chem., and Adv. Mater.; at present, he is an As- sociate Editor of JACS. He is the found- ing editor of the journal Small, and he has co-edited multiple bestselling books. Mirkin holds a B.S. degree from (1986) and a Ph.D. degree from the Penn. State Univ. (1989). He was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology prior to becoming a profes- sor at Northwestern University in 1991. u There is a healthy debate among scientists about which discipline can provide the best Abstract tools for solving key societal problems. This cartoon pokes fun at the sometimes—con- Continued from page 5 tentious relationship between chemists and biologists. Chemists are often the inventors and early developers of materials and techniques that drive biotechnology. Is this area immunostimulatory SNAs that activate an immune response against cancer (arguably biology’s most useful side) then really just chemistry in disguise? Can chemists cells. This presentation will describe lay claim to the most impactful discoveries within it? Whether you’d argue yes or no to these advancements and illustrate how these questions, it could be the biology community that gets the last laugh. Another clue rational vaccinology may improve u in the man’s crossword puzzle: “A biologist who has made seminal discoveries in his or human lives. her field, perhaps (4 words).” The answer: N-O-B-E-L-L-A-U-R-E-A-T-E-I-N-C-H-E-M-I-S-T-R-Y. What’s Yours? — Chad Mirkin, Northwestern DMPK Scientist, LC/MS Product Specialist, Mass Spec Operator, Win your own Sidney Staff Investigator, Process Chemist, Harris original cartoon! QA Manager, Synthetic Chemist, Lab Instructor . . . A contest will be held in which ACS caption. The runner-up will receive a members only can submit “one original personally autographed copy of one of Many local employers post positions cartoon caption” of 35 words or less. Harris's most famous cartoons chosen on the NESACS job board. Cartoonist Sidney Harris will draw a by Harris. Deadline is April 1, 2019. Find yours at cartoon based on the winning caption. For more information and the official The grand prize winner will receive the entry form, go to: http://acshist.scs.illi- www.nesacs.org/jobs u original cartoon based on the winning nois.edu/index.php

14 The Nucleus March 2019 BUSINESS DIRECTORY SERVICES SERVICES SERVICES

What’s Yours? Many local employers post positions on the NESACS job board. Find yours at www.nesacs.org/jobs

Join NESACS on facebook www.facebook.com/nesacs

Your source to career-related links WWW.NESACS.ORG/CAREERS

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March 1 March 18 Prof. Mircea Dinca (MIT) Prof. Adrian Roitberg (Univ. ) UMass-Lowell, Olney 316, 3:30 pm BU, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm March 4 Prof. Darrel Irvine (MIT) Prof. Hosea Nelson (UCLA) Brandies, Gerstenzang 124, 3:40 pm Boston University, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm March 19 Prof. Scott Auerbach (UMass Amherst) Prof. Ron Raines (MIT) Brandeis, Gerstenzang 124, 3:40 pm Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 12:45 pm Prof. Jeffrey Rinehart (UCal-) Dr. Wesley P. Wong (Harvard) Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm Probing single-molecule interactions with Prof. Douglas C. Rees (Cal Tech) parallel force spectroscopy The nitrogenase mechanism: peering inside the MIT, Rm 6-120, 4:00 pm black box Prof. Eva Rose M. Balog (Univ. New England) MIT, 4:00 pm U. New Hampshire, Parsons N104, 11:10 am March 5 March 20 Prof. Emily Weiss (Northeastern) Prof. Mike Harms (Univ. Oregon) Quantum dots: Photophysics to Photochemistry Boston University, Metcalf 512, 2:00 pm MIT, Rm 6-120, 4:00 pm Prof. Colin Nuckolls (Columbia) Dr. Bruce Kay (Pacific Northwest Nat. Lab) MIT, 4-370, 4:15 pm

AMERICAN CHEMICAL Tufts, Pearson P-106, 4:30 pm March 21 U.S. POSTAGE PAID NONPROFIT ORG. NORTHEASTERN Prof. Regina Frey (Washington Univ.-St. Louis) Prof. De-en Jiang (UCal-Riverside) SOCIETY SECTION Univ. New Hampshire, Parsons N104, 11:10 am Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm March 6 March 25 Prof. Dan Tawfik (Weizmann Institute of Prof. Yi Tang (UCLA) Science) Boston University, Metcalf 113, 4:00 pm Boston University, Metcalf 512, 2:00 pm Prof. Jack Szostak (Harvard) Prof. Amy Rosenzweig (Northeastern) Harvard, Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm MIT, Rm 4-370, 4:15 pm March 11 March 26 Calendar Prof. Cherie Kagan (Univ. Pennsylvania) Sergei Tretiak (Los Alamos Nat. Lab) Tufts, Pearson P-106, 4:30 pm Brandeis, Gerstenzang 124, 3:40 pm Prof. Rachel Stanley (Wellesley College) Check the NESACS home page Prof. Francesco Paesani (UCal-San Diego) Univ. New Hampshire, Parsons N104, 11:10 am for late Calendar additions: Harvard, Pfizer lecture hall, 4:15 pm March 27 http://www.NESACS.org Lynn Abell (Agios Pharmaceuticals) MIT, 4:00 pm Prof. Kamil Godula (UCal-San Diego) Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm Note also the Chemistry Department web March 12 pages for travel directions and updates. Prof. Huan-Xiang Zhou (U. Illinois-) Dr. James Skinner (Univ. Chicago) Boston University, Metcalf 512, 2:00 pm These include: Anomalies in ambient and supercold water: is http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/chemistry/s there a second critical point lurking nearby? March 28 eminars.html MIT, Rm 6-120, 4:00 pm Prof. Mark S. Taylor (Univ. Toronto) http://www.bu.edu/chemistry/seminars/ Prof. Michelle Arkin (UCal-San Francisco) MIT, 6-120, 4:00 pm http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/chem Tufts, Pearson P-106, 4:30 pm March 29 istry/events/index.html March 13 http://chemistry.harvard.edu/calendar/upco Prof. X. Peter Zhang (BU) ming Dr. James Skinner (Univ. Chicago) Metalloradical catalysis for stereoselective http://www.northeastern.edu/cos/chemistry/ Vibrational spectroscopy in water around phase radical reactions events-2/ diagram: clusters, liquid, interfaces and UMass Lowell, Olney 316, 3:30 pm http://chemistry.mit.edu/events/all crystalline and amorphous Notices for The Nucleus http://chem.tufts.edu/seminars.html MIT, Rm 6-120, 4:00 pm Calendar of Seminars should http://engineering.tufts.edu/chbe/newsEven Prof. Michael Nippe (Texas A&M) be sent to: ts/seminarSeries/index.asp MIT, Rm 4-370, 4:15 pm http://www.chem.umb.edu March 14 Samurdhi Wijesundera, Email:u http://www.umassd.edu/cas/chemistry/ Prof. Wei Xiong (UCal-San Diego) [email protected] http://www.uml.edu/Sciences/chemistry/Se Boston College, Merkert 130, 4:00 pm minars-and-Colloquia.aspx Prof. Ohyun Kwon (UCLA) http://www.unh.edu/chemistry/events MIT, Rm 6-120, 4:00 pm https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departmen ts/chemistry-biochemistry Join Looking for seminars 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