Spring 2013

Athena SWAN: encouraging equality Water vapour in the stratosphere Royal Institution Christmas Lectures Memories of Dan Brown & Herchel Smith As I see it...

Chemistry alumnus James Harrison moved from science to the City, and then back into chemistry-based industry. He talks to Sarah Houlton about how his Cambridge chemistry experience has shaped his career thus far – both directly and indirectly

Can you tell us about your Cambridge profit, employment and the depth of our prod - experience? uct pipeline all increased. Archimica was sold a I came up to Cambridge and Robinson in 1992 couple of years ago to the Italian company – and like many people at Robinson at that Euticals, and I moved on. time, I didn’t apply there, but came through the pool system. But I’m very glad I ended up there How did that experience shape your – and it made me very motivated to beat all the next career move? chemists Christ’s chose ahead of me in the final The insight I gained into the pharmaceutical exams! I quickly gravitated towards chemistry industry led me to try the entrepreneurial in the natural sciences tripos, with my interests route, and I founded a new company, Cycle more on the physical and theoretical side. I Pharmaceuticals, one year ago. We believe that think the person who put most red ink on my many existing pharmaceuticals are not opti - work was Melinda Duer, and it was very inter - mised for patients and we are trying to do esting to be supervised by Lord Lewis. something about this. There is very much an I was then offered a PhD place in Dave King’s ethical component to our work – we want to do surface science group, but wrote up an MPhil well by doing good. after a year instead. I don’t think I was ready at We only work with existing approved drugs 21 for the move from the structured under - – we don’t touch anything in the clinical graduate world, and seeing my contemporaries pipeline where patient safety is not yet proven. having fun in London, I sold out – there’s no We have two areas of focus: bringing to market other way to describe it – and became a merg - our own pipeline of products, many of which ers and acquisitions banker in London with are for the under-served rare disease patient Morgan Stanley. population, and secondly repurposing and redeveloping discontinued drugs. That’s a far cry from surface science! Most of the 7,000-or-so identified rare dis - Yes, it was. But I saw the error of my ways after eases are genetic abnormalities that the patient three years, and joined an investment manage - is born with, and require life-long treatment. ment firm, Soros Private Equity Partners, While there are incentives for big pharma com - How do you go about finding drugs to involved in buying and selling companies. We’d panies to research and find new drugs for rare work on? buy them, and restructure and build them, to diseases, these new drugs are understandably We collaborate with experts, whether within create growing businesses. I naturally gravitated designed for babies so that they can take the the academic community or industry. They have back to chemistry and the industrial world, drug as soon as they are diagnosed. That’s great, often already had a long career, and have devel - putting some of the things I’d learnt at but there are no incentives for the big pharma oped ideas about drugs that might have poten - Cambridge to use. Many of the skills you learn company to adapt its drug as the child grows tial, perhaps with a different formulation, or in are relevant in any career – thinking from first and gets heavier and more active. There are a different indication. We are trying to find principles, structuring your arguments, and so instances of eight-year-olds popping 30 pills in these people, work with them, and make their on – and I like to think my chemistry back - the morning and another 30 at night because ideas reality by investing in the necessary devel - ground helped me persuade the head of R&D at each individual pill is optimised for a newborn! opment process. We also have a few ideas of a chemical company to throw their career in This is something we look to address. our own! with me, as the person trying to buy the com - There are many examples of these optimisa - pany. At least I understood some of the words! I tion opportunities – perhaps we can create a How much development work is bought and sold chemicals businesses from new formulation that does not need refrigera - required? Bayer, from Degussa (now Evonik), and from tion. One-year-olds may rarely be away from a This is the key skill set we bring. We have former Clariant – taking a division out of a big chemi - fridge for very long, but eight-year-olds want US and EU drug regulatory officers on our staff, cal conglomerate, then putting all the other to go to Alton Towers – a real problem for mum and therefore we know the right regulatory path - necessary pieces around it that a standalone and dad if they need to take their drugs every ways to use and what drug regulators require of business needs. few hours. And many rare diseases fall into us. Our background is also in drug manufactur - genetic ‘families’, so it may be possible to ing, so we know how to put pharmaceutical sup - Did you get more closely involved with repurpose an approved treatment for one dis - ply chains in place and manage them. any of the businesses? ease, to treat another. I did, yes. One chemical business I was respon - Our other area of focus is trying to bring What links do you maintain with the sible for buying from Clariant, a global manu - ‘dead’ drugs back to life. While many old drugs university? facturer of pharmaceutical ingredients called have been superseded by newer, better alterna - I was invited back to Robinson the other week Archimica, turned out to have all manner of tives, there are some where we think there are to give the annual scholars’ lecture, and I’m on issues, including fraud. We made the judgement good reasons why their use should increase the college’s investment committee, trying to that the existing management team would be again. For example, antibiotic resistance pat - give something back. Cambridge chemistry was unable to complete the business turnaround, as terns change, and returning to older drugs such a good training programme for life – the issues we found meant deep restructuring where resistance has not built up, can provide so many skills have been transferred to the was required, and I got the chance to do it therapeutic options. Then there are questions workplaces I’ve been in. I’m not sure I use the myself. So I went from being a board member such as whether the new generations of chemistry I learnt in James Keeler’s Part 1A lec - representing the investment company to chief antipsychotic drugs are really better than the tures directly in my daily life but, in a way, I do, executive, moving my family to Germany and older ones? So we are taking rights in discon - as the skills you learn from those courses – and then Switzerland. tinued drugs, and are looking to bring them not throwing paper aeroplanes at him – are Over the three years I led that business, sales, back to the market for the benefit of patients. really important.

2 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 Reluctant reactions Letters

Fighting fires Identity crisis eChem@Cam Dear Editor Dear Editor, The death of Dan Brown prompts me I enjoy reading Chem@Cam . However, Chem@Cam is now being sent out by email to those to write to you, as I probably should I sometimes have difficulty with the who have asked for a pdf version rather than a hard have done before, and provide you photo captions. They could be part of copy in the mail. with some background on him, and the puzzles section! If you would like to swap your paper magazine for an also Herchel Smith. On page 13 of the Autumn 2012 e-version, then please send an email with the subject line Dan and I went to Cambridge issue, it helps to identify people by their ‘eChem@Cam’ to [email protected], and we’ll start to together in 1948 to work with Lord gender, but as I don’t know the people send you the mag electronically from the next issue. Todd, and we spent most of the next in the groups of three men, the captions Don’t forget to tell us your postal address so we can three years sharing digs, registered seem to be mixed up. Similarly, on page check that the correct person is being removed from the lodgings and rooms in Christ’s. Of 14 of the Spring 2012 issue, it was dif - mailing list for the paper magazine. course, we had known each other ficult to assign names to subjects in If you’re not sure what it will look like, you can check out much longer before that. We gradu - some of the photos. e-back issues on the newly redesigned department ated from Glasgow in 1944, and Best wishes, website, www.ch.cam.ac.uk moved to London – he to the Chester Peter Scott Beatty Institute, and I to the National Editor’s note: it’s always a balancing act Don’t worry if you still want to receive a paper copy – Institute of Medical Research in between squeezing in pictures, names, and we’ll continue to print and mail the magazine for the Hampstead, in 1945. making the page look nice. We’ll try to do foreseeable future, so you won’t miss out! At Cambridge, we worked in the better in future! postdoc lab on the second floor of the chemistry dept, along with, among various others, Len Haynes, Gobind Khorana, Grant Buchanan, Charles Dalgleish, Ted Corbett and Ted Harvey from New Zealand, and, of course, Herchel Smith. I always remember Dan as a good friend with a ‘pawky’ sense of humour, and a penetrating and per - suasive intellect. His contribution to chemistry at Cambridge, to the Watson/Crick epic, and to molecular biology in general, was enormous although, I fear, largely unsung. That was the kind of guy he was. I miss him. Hugh Forrest Emeritus professor of zoology, University of Texas at Austin, US

Turn to page 13 to read Hugh’s memo - ries of Herchel Smith at Cambridge

Cover This newsletter is published three times a year by the University of Cambridge Chemistry Department. Opinions are not necessarily those of the editor, the department, or the university. Editor-in-Chief: Steve Ley Editor: Sarah Houlton Photographers: Nathan Pitt, Caroline Hancox Editorial Board: Contents Brian Crysell, Bill Jones, News 4 Jonathan Goodman, Rosemary Ley, Jeremy Sanders Chemiluminescent chemistry: all Research 7 made from components found in coffee, as seen in one of Peter Address: Alumni 11 Wothers’ demonstration lectures Chem@Cam, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road Chat lines 13 Photograph: Nathan Pitt Cambridge CB2 1EW Phone: 01223 763865 Puzzle corner 15 email: [email protected] website: www.ch.cam.ac.uk

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 3 News A little light relief… RSC prize lectures t t i P

n a h t a N t t : i s P o

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: The department has recently hosted two Ken Houk and s o t Christy Haynes in o US-based RSC prize lecturers. First of h

P all, in January, Ken Houk of UCLA gave lecturing action This year’s Alex Hopkins lecture was Fitzwilliam, and who also played an his Robert Robinson award lecture, given by physical chemist and former important role in the department’s inor - ‘Theory, dynamics and mechanisms of president of the Royal Society of ganic teaching. cycloadditions’. Chemistry David Phillips. His talk, ‘A lit - The lecture is supported in Alex’s Then in February, Joseph Black award tle light relief’, focused on the science memory by his father, John Hopkins. winner Christy Haynes of the of photomedicine from a chemist’s University of Minnesota spoke on mon - point of view. itoring immune cell behaviour in the It looked at both the diagnostic and context of inflammation. therapeutic aspects of light’s effects on the skin – and the damage the sun can cause. He spoke in depth about the use Ulyana’s Israeli award of lasers in combination with chemical Ulyana Shimanovich, a postdoc in sensitisers to destroy tumours, and how Tuomas Knowles’ group, has won an better sensitisers that target tumours Israeli Women in Science fellowship more accurately are being developed. award. Two such awards are given every And – as you can tell from the photos – year to women who are starting their there were plenty of demonstrations! first year of postdoctoral training, hav - The annual lecture, which relates ing completed a PhD in Israel. chemistry to everyday life and contains ‘Not only did I receive the award this an element of humour, is given in mem - year, but I also had an offer of a position ory of Alex Hopkins, a much-loved as a faculty member from one of the teaching fellow at Churchill and Israeli universities,’ Ulyana says.

Oxford talks for Indian of the Year Daan and Jason Yusuf Hamied, a chemistry alumnus and generous donor to the department and Two Cambridge academics have been the university, has been made 2012 giving named lectures at Oxford. The CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for business. 2013 Hinshelwood Lectures were given These awards recognise Indians who t t

by Daan Frenkel in late April and early have made huge contributions to ‘Brand i P

May. The theme of the lecture series is India’ across five categories – business, n a h ‘Simulating soft matter: not a numbers entertainment, politics, public service t a N

game’, and Daan was giving six talks and sport. Ultimately voted for by the : s o t

over the space of three weeks. The lec - public from a list of nominees short - o h

ture series is sponsored by Shell listed by a jury, Yusuf won the award P International. because of the success of his company, A couple of weeks earlier in April, Cipla, in making some of the most We recently had Jason Chin gave the 2013 Andy Derome essential drugs more affordable to peo - visitors from BASF. Lectures. His two talks were entitled ple in developing countries. Valerie Andre, ‘Reprogramming the genetic code’ and ‘I can truthfully say that chemistry senior manager for ‘Imaging and controlling biological runs in my blood,’ Yusuf says. ‘This pres - science relations processes with molecular precision’. tigious award is a testament to the ideals and innovation Andy Derome was an undergraduate I have fought for and fiercely defended management gave here in Cambridge, before moving to in spite of all odds, always keeping in an introduction to Oxford for a DPhil with Jack Baldwin. mind as to what is best for India.’ BASF’s innovation From 1982, he ran the organic chem - I Our congratulations also go to for - culture, while istry NMR facility, until his untimely mer Cambridge chemistry professor fungicides lab head death in 1991. He is perhaps best Carol Robinson, now at Oxford, who Klaas Lohmann known for his book, ‘Modern NMR was made a Dame of the British Empire spoke about lead techniques in chemistry research’. in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List. optimisation.

4 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 www.ch.cam.ac.uk Computer heaven? Predicting headlines A recent paper from Andreas Bender and PhD student Fazlin Mohd Fauzi has caused quite a bit of media interest, with news stories on BBC World, as well as newspaper stories in India and Malaysia. Traditional Chinese and Indian ayurvedic medicine have been used for centuries, and contain complex mix - tures of active ingredients. A lot of information about the chemical com - position of these medicines is now available in publicly available databases. Andreas and Fazlin used computa - tional models to predict the biological targets of some of these molecules, and in many cases found there was a good correlation between the predicted bio - logical target and the medicine’s tradi - tional activity. t t i For example, in the traditional Chinese P n a medicine class of ‘tonifying and replen - h t a ishing medicine’, they found com - N

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o pounds that are active against the well- t o h known cyclooxygenase, or COX, recep - P Dave checks out the ever-growing collection of computer waste tors involved in inflammation pathways. These are the targets of western drugs These days, we’re not allowed to throw old metals are recycled. such as aspirin and ibuprofen. computers in the bin, thanks to the Waste ‘Over the past 15 months, we’ve got They also looked at anticancer tar - Electrical and Electronic Equip ment, or rid of approximately 25 tonnes of WEEE gets, Fazlin explains. ‘We were able to WEEE, directive. So what happens to the computer waste in the department!’ Dave predict the activities quite well for anti - department’s computer equipment once says. ‘Each load is about 1 tonne of com - cancer compounds,’ she says. This has it reaches the end of its useful life? puter equipment. And it takes no more real potential in drug discovery pro - The answer is – it’s recycled. The than a month to fill up – though early last grammes. ‘Even if we can only find the computer officers have a cubbyhole, year, when there was a real effort to get targets for as few as 10% of the com - near the rear exit to technical services, rid of old equipment, we were emptying pounds in a traditional medicine, we where dead kit goes to await its recy - it once a week for two months.’ have highlighted potential starting cling fate, looked after by Dave Pratt. So remember – if you want to get rid points for new medicine development.’ It languishes in the room until it’s of something that has a plug or any ‘We know which compounds are full, and is then taken away by a com - form of electrical circuitry, don’t throw present in plants used for specific pur - pany called CDL – Computer Disposals it away. Anything computer-related poses from the traditional medicine Limited – which is monitored by the should go to Dave, while John Coston databases,’ Andreas adds. ‘We also have Environment Agency. looks after all the department’s other connections between chemical struc - Once it reaches CDL’s site in electrical waste – send an email to ture and targets from databases such as Warrington, they determine whether it [email protected] if you CHEMBL, and by putting all this infor - can be re-used. Otherwise, the equip - have something that needs to be dis - mation into our target identification ment is dismantled, and as many com - posed of. It’s not just a case of comply - models, we can anticipate what the ponents as possible separated for re-use. ing with legal requirements – it’s also likely protein targets of that compound That which cannot be reused is split part of the department’s commitment to are, and provide a bridge between the Andreas was even down further, and components such as become more sustainable. holistic thinking of eastern medicine, pictured (centre) and the target-based thinking we have in the Malaysian in the west.’ newspaper! Shankar wins the Heatley medal being made in recognition of his role in developing novel high-throughput sequence methodologies that, the cita - tion says, are having a profound impact on medical and environmental sciences. The medal commemorates Norman Heatley, the scientist who overcame wartime shortages to make the mass production of penicillin possible. It is awarded for exceptional work that makes biochemistry widely accessi - ble and usable, or for achievements that enable widespread progress and under - Shankar Balasubramanian has been standing. As well as the medal, Shankar awarded the Biochemical Society’s will give the prize lecture at a Heatley medal for 2014. The award is Biochemical Society conference.

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 5 News Athena SWAN: working towards equality The department has applied for an Athena SWAN bronze award. These Some of the awards recognise and celebrate good working party take practice in recruiting, retaining and pro - a well-earned moting women in science, engineering, break in the technology and medicine within higher Cybercafe´. From education institutes. The university has the left: Richard been very keen for departments to regis - Turner, Marita ter for the Athena SWAN process, and Walsh, Jane Clarke, there is a commitment to improve the Stuart Clarke, number of women, particularly in aca - Laura Itzhaki, t t demic positions. Amanda Maycock i P

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Research councils are now demand - and Neil Harris a h t ing evidence that departments are a N

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working at gender equality. Having an o t o

Athena SWAN award, and working h towards higher level awards, is a tangi - P ble way that we can demonstrate our ment,’ she says. ‘Issues we picked up on group member and third year student commitment in this area. So there is a included work–life balance – do people Antonia Mattos said that they focused pragmatic reason why aiming for gen - with young families or other outside on the progression of students who der equality is important – it’s not just responsibilities feel they are able to choose to take Part II and III chemistry. the issues of equality and waste of tal - work for their supervisors and balance ‘We identified that there is a drop-off in ent, there is also a real argument about those responsibilities in a satisfactory the number of female students who future funding. way? There were also issues with men - continued on to take chemistry at Part ‘While we have reason to be satisfied toring and training in the dept – are III,’ she says. ‘Our survey of undergrad - with many areas of our performance, there sufficient opportunities for people uates highlighted issues to do with aspi - there are a significant number of issues to develop the skills they require?’ rations, and one of our action points is that cause concern,’ says Jane Clarke, Jane was then responsible for putting to investigate those factors.’ who led the application process. ‘We all the different inputs together into a Aspiration plays a part further up the will not be successful moving forward cohesive whole. ‘There are some things chain, too. ‘We found that, at first, PhD without the wholehearted support of all in the report that are quite shocking – students and postdocs both women and members of the department.’ but there are things in there that are men wanted to be academics,’ Jane says. very encouraging, too, as there are ‘That drops off for both as they go HOW ARE WE DOING? things that we clearly do well,’ she says. through their PhD, but much more As a department, we do pretty well at ‘But it does contain clear pointers to the steeply for the women than the men. So postgraduate and postdoc level, with a things we need to do better.’ what is it about the PhD process that good number of women – for example, On the undergraduate side, working discourages women from wanting to around a third of our 200-odd postdocs stay on? These are things that we simply are female. But women are seriously don’t know.’ underrepresented on the department’s What is Athena SWAN? academic staff. ‘Of the 20 appointments LOOKING TO THE FUTURE of people coming in to the department The Athena SWAN charter for women in science evolved As part of the award application, an at lecturer level since 2000, not one has from work between the Athena Project and the Scientific action plan was developed, describing been female,’ Jane says. ‘We are also Women’s Academic Network (SWAN), to advance the rep - actions that are already being taken, and really short of women applying to come resentation of women in science, engineering and technol - will be taken in the future, to address in at the research fellow level. So what is ogy. The charter was officially launched in 2005, with the the issues highlighted by the working happening between our great postdocs, first awards conferred in 2006. Its principles are: party’s research. ‘It’s important that it is and the more senior positions?’ I To address gender inequalities requires commitment and not just about women who have chil - As part of the process, a mixed-gen - action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation dren – it’s about a healthy work–life der working party was set up, with rep - I To tackle the unequal representation of women in sci - balance for everyone,’ Jane says. resentatives of all sections of the depart - ence requires changing cultures and attitudes across the ‘We want to have a model that says ment – from undergraduates to senior organisation you can do world-beating science while academics, plus support staff. Members I The absence of diversity at management and policy-mak - retaining this. One of the things we of the committee were tasked to look ing levels has broad implications which the organisation have done in the department is intro - into and address the different parts of will examine duce a “lab expectations” document. the process, collecting data and coming I The high loss rate of women in science is an urgent con - This specifies that all meetings should up with recommendations. The results cern which the organisation will address be held within child-friendly hours, so were fed in to the report that was sub - I The system of short-term contracts has particularly nega - between 9am and 5.30pm, whether mitted to Athena SWAN as part of our tive consequences for the retention and progression of group meetings, seminars or depart - bronze award application. women in science, which the organisation recognises mental meetings. Surveys formed an important part of I There are both personal and structural obstacles to ‘As the head of department wrote in the data-gathering process. For exam - women making the transition from PhD into a sustain - his letter, if the great pool of women ple, an anonymous, online survey of able academic career in science, which require the active scientists are choosing not to apply to contract research staff was carried out, consideration of the organisation. Cambridge, then we are missing out on explains postdoc Amanda Maycock. ‘We These six principles represent the cornerstone of Athena some of the best brains in the world tried to get a handle on various issues, SWAN; to join the Charter, vice-chancellors or principals because they are not choosing to come such as how well postdocs feel they are must indicate that their institution will take action to here. We are committed to identifying supported, and the working environ - address these areas. what we could be doing better, and ment they experience in the depart - then doing it.’

6 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 www.ch.cam.ac.uk

Tunnelling to a prize Chemistry in Parliament Adam Reid, a PhD student in Stuart Althorpe’s group, was recently awarded joint first place in the John Rose prize at King’s College. This is given for the best explanation of a scientific principle of general interest. His winning essay was on quantum tunnelling, inspired by the research he’s doing for his PhD. As he says at the start of his essay, ‘This ubiquitous process can often be quite poorly understood by many otherwise scientically-literate peo - ple. It is exploited to great eect in elec - tron microscopes, and other examples of its occurrence include the nuclear fusion reaction occurring on a vast scale within the heart of the sun, and also many bio - chemical processes in our bodies.’ Interested? You can find a copy of his essay at www.bit.ly/YQFXVj – and Adam says that any comments, thoughts or questions from readers would be gratefully received! Matthew does a good job of hiding his nerves while presenting his poster!

Matthew Grayson, a PhD student in to develop a better understanding of how Jonathan Goodman’s group, presented chiral phosphoric acid catalysts work. Linnett lecturer Zare his science in the the Houses of There were three separate competi - Parliament in March as part of the SET tions – engineering, biological and bio - for Britain poster competition. This is medical science, and physical sciences designed to allow scientists to present (including chemistry). ‘Each section had ground-breaking research to MPs and a separate two-hour poster exhibition members of the House of Lords, and and judging session during the day, encourage greater engagement between ending with a prize-giving for the top MPs and scientists in the constituencies three posters,’ Matthew says. ‘While I t t i

they represent. didn’t win one of the prizes, my P

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He was shortlisted from hundreds of research was well received. a h t applicants to present his research into ‘It was a nerve-wracking experience, a N

: understanding and developing methods but an excellent opportunity to present s o t o

of making key building blocks useful in my research to the wider community, h biotechnology. Computational and exper - and to speak with politicians regarding P imental approaches are used in his project scientific research across the UK.’ Above: Richard This year’s Linnett visiting professor Zare in lecturing was Stanford University’s Richard Zare, action; below: whose research focuses on laser chem- Testing truths: Dudley’s last book posing with old istry and understanding chemical reac- friends John tions at the molecular level. In early Many readers will know that Dudley book, ‘Testing Truths’, which covers a Meurig Thomas, March, he spent a couple of weeks in Williams devoted many years, and broad sweep of science from the Big Ian Smith and the department, giving three lectures much of his retirement, to writing a Bang to evolution and its implications David Buckingham during his time here. for human behaviour. The Linnett lecture itself was entitled He completed the text in October ‘If you do not fail enough times, you 2010, just before he died, and he cannot possibly succeed’ – wise advice charged Jeremy Sanders and his wife Pat on the importance of persistance! with the responsibility of getting it pub - His other two lectures were on lished. During the past year or so, the searching for intermediates in liquid pair prepared the text and figures, and reactions, and ‘TB or not TB’. oversaw the project to fruition. ‘Testing Truths’ has now been pub - lished. ‘For me, reading it brings back to life Dudley’s voice and thinking in a way that is direct and very moving,’ Jeremy says. ‘You don't have to agree with all his conclusions, but they, and the many lively quotations from an extraordinary range of writers, make it a stimulating read.’ The book is available from the pub - lisher, Silverwood Books (www.silver - woodbooks.co.uk), and from Amazon in both paperback and e-book format.

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 7 Green news

Ten top tips for saving energy in the lab Switch Off success Shut the sash on fume cupboards whenever you walk away Declutter fridges and freezers, and dispose of unwanted samples Make sure samples aren’t being stored at temperatures colder than necessary If practical, avoid having a single sample in each shaker, stirrer and centrifuge Don’t use more glassware than you need to – it takes energy to heat and treat the water used to wash it Only run dishwashers when fully loaded Fit timers to drying ovens Only use purified water when mains water really t t won’t do i P n

a Consider upgrading equipment such as fridges, freezers, h t

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t Make the most of natural daylight, and switch off lights o h when not needed, especially at the end of the day P A selection of chemists show off their woolly jumpers on Thermal Thursday

The university-wide ‘Switch Off’ week various initiatives led to a overall 2.1% of the university’s buildings that have in February prompted a number of saving on the university’s energy bill controlled air temperatures and humid - energy-saving initiatives, including sev - compared to the previous week, after ity levels. Unfortunately, this is not eral in the department. the effects of the unusually cold snap something that switching off, however The aim of the week was to run a towards the end of the week were fac - conscientiously it is done, can prevent. series of activities to raise the awareness tored in. This is the first year that Switch Off among students and staff of the impacts If this were maintained for a whole week has been run on this scale. It is of energy use by the university, and to 12 months, it would translate into a cut envisaged that in future the event will encourage them to take action in their in the university’s energy bill of more become an annual fixture in the univer - departments and institutions to reduce than £200,000 a year. sity’s calendar as part of the university’s energy use. The figure of 2.1% was reached by sustainability programme . In the department, everyone was applying a correction for weather Of course, energy saving isn’t just a encouraged to switch off unnecessary adjustment, due to temperatures drop - one-week activity in February – there equipment, screens, lights or anything ping at the end of the week and the large are plenty of things we can all be doing else that uses energy on the Wednesday amount of electric heating (as opposed to reduce our energy consumption. Xin lunchtime, and also at the weekend. A to gas) across the university. Yang of the department’s Green Team ‘Thermal Thursday’, was also held, with There was a 4.1% reduction in con - has provided the energy-saving tips on staff and students encouraged to wrap sumption by Wednesday without any this page. Some are obvious; others, like up warm in their winter woollies so the ‘degree day’ correction for weather con - closing your fume hood when you’re heating could be turned down. ditions, equal to 45,310 kWh. This not working in it, might be less so. A brave band of woolly-wearers posed impressive effort was followed by an What can you do to reduce the for a photo in reception – it was just end-of-the-week dwindle – that cold department’s energy consumption? that bit too cold for outdoors, even in snap meant the temptation to turn on the jumpers! electric heaters was too great, and the The impact on the university’s energy savings reduced over the week. It also led consumption all week were striking. The to an increase in electricity use by several

Ten top tips for saving energy in offices Switch off the lights in your work area if you’re last to leave Switch off lights whenever daylight is adequate Switch off main lights whenever task lighting is adequate Print double-sided, turn off printers and other equip - ment at night, and ensure sleep modes are enabled Dress appropriately for the season, and heat and cool your office sensibly If it’s too hot, don’t open a window while leaving the radiator on high – turn it down if you can Look at the settings on any local control units – ideally, only cool to 25°C, and heat to 19°C The energy savings were converted into person-cycling miles, and Jeremy Sanders used them to go on a virtual world tour on his Check seals on refrigerators, and make sure any bike. He cycled around the world more than 30 times, including a freezer compartments are defrosted regularly stop off to say hello to the penguins in Antarctica, and even went Use sustainable modes of transport to get to the office, to the moon. You can find out where else his bike tour might (not) such as cycling have taken him in a slideshow on the university website, at Use reusable cups and glasses rather than paper ones www.admin.cam.ac.uk/carbon/getting_involved/sow-gallery.html his almost-holiday snaps are at the bottom of the page

8 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 Research Water vapour and global warming

Weather in action: are complicated. ‘We know they involve Amanda with an both microphysics and the large-scale anemometer in the stratospheric circulation, as well as Botanical Gardens cloud processes, but not all of these things are well-represented in the mod - els,’ she says. ‘But the models are being used to predict things such as the global average surface temperature in the future, which is an important metric for policymakers. By quantifying the radia - tive forcing water vapour in the strato - sphere has on the climate, we should be able to improve our understanding of these temperature projections.’

OZONE LAYER RECOVERY Another problem she’s interested in t t i involves the stratospheric ozone layer. P

n ‘The World Meteorological Organ is - a h t ation conducts ozone assessments every a N

: four years,’ she says. ‘People want to o t o know when the ozone layer will h P recover. With the Montreal Protocol now controlling CFC emissions we do expect it to recover, but there is uncer - The stratosphere is normally very dry. How does the tainty around the timescales. Will it be presence of water there affect our climate? That’s one by the middle of this century, or will it of the things Amanda Maycock is trying to find out take longer? Our modelling work con - tributes to this type of assessment.’ As a specialist in computer simula - The atmosphere is an incredibly com - of weather patterns in the troposphere – tions, her work relies heavily on super - plex system, with huge numbers of the layer we live in. A good example is computers. ‘We use supercomputers at processes and feedbacks interacting the extreme chemical depletion of ozone the Met Office, as well as HECToR, the with each other to create the climate in the southern hemisphere associated UK’s national supercomputer facility in and weather we know and (occasion - with halocarbons, such as CFCs, in the Edinburgh,’ she says. ‘These are not the ally) love. This complexity means atmosphere. This is thought to have sorts of calculations you could do on sophisticated atmospheric models of affected carbon uptake in the southern your laptop! The models allow us to the climate system have been devel - ocean as a result of changes in circulation investigate what impact changing one oped. They vary from simple tools that and wind stress at the ocean surface.’ factor of the system might have, such as incorporate only a handful of processes, perturbations in greenhouse gases or to complicated models that incorporate WATER VAPOUR other chemical species, and are ­ atmospheric chemistry. Her current projects focus on the role of ‘State-of-the-art climate models now stratospheric water vapour in the cli - Born : Beverley, near Hull, and grew up in Coventry k

include the interactions between chem - mate. Water vapour is a familiar concept c Education : Studied physics at Manchester University, ical species in the atmosphere, as we in the troposphere where clouds are o followed by a masters degree in atmospheric science at c

want to understand the role of chemical prevalent, but the stratosphere is very y

processes in the climate system,’ dry. Despite this, stratospheric water Reading. She stayed on for a PhD with Keith Shine and a

Manoj Joshi, studying various aspects of atmospheric M

explains Amanda Maycock. ‘For exam - vapour is still a powerful greenhouse

ple, what role do chemical processes gas and changes in its concentration radiation and dynamics, and climate modelling a Career : After a short postdoc at Oxford with Lesley d play in determining air pollution and impact on the energy balance of the n

quality, and how can chemical feedbacks earth’s surface. Gray in the department of atmospheric, oceanic and a

and processes affect the impact of green - ‘In model simulations of climate planetary physics, she moved to Cambridge and John m house gases on the climate system?’ change, an increase in man-made emis - Pyle’s group last year. In July, she starts an AXA A Amanda’s background in meteorol - sions of carbon dioxide and methane fellowship, and will become a junior research fellow at ogy has led her to take a particular causes changes in the concentration of St Catharine’s in October interest in the stratosphere – the layer water vapour in the stratosphere,’ she V

Interests : walking in the countryside, live music, C between 10 and 50km above the earth says. ‘This suggests it might be an impor - reading, and she claims to be an enthusiastic, if not that contains the ozone layer. ‘I’m par - tant feedback in global warming. I’m always successful, cook! ticularly interested in how changes in investigating how well stratospheric Did you know? Since moving to Bishops Stortford last composition in the stratosphere, such as water vapour is represented in the differ - year, Amanda has become a keen allotment gardener. the presence of water vapour and ent climate models that are an integral ‘I grow potatoes, rhubarb, raspberries, and some ozone, affect its radiative balance, and part of large international climate policy Jerusalem artichokes have just gone in,’ she says. ‘This how this can impact on the dynamics of efforts, such as the Intergov ern men tal year, we’re also trying cauliflower and sweetcorn – atmospheric circulation and influence Panel on Climate Change reports.’ though if the summer’s as bad as the past couple have the weather,’ she says. The processes that control the con - been, the corn might be a challenge!’ ‘Composition changes in the middle centration of water vapour rising from atmosphere can impact on the evolution the troposphere into the stratosphere

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 9 Research

­ based on as much solid theory as the climate model we use at Cambridge, distinct parts of the atmosphere, and the possible.‘We have a good understanding including circulation, clouds and other dynamic coupling between them is still of the fundamental fluid dynamics of the physical processes, was developed by the not very clear, but it can have a big influ - Earth as a rotating sphere with an atmos - Met Office, and we add in the chemistry.’ ence on our surface weather patterns, phere, but other factors such as clouds are Amanda is about to start an independ - particularly over Europe,’ she says. ‘I’m less well understood and are represented ent fellowship funded by the AXA looking to develop an intermediate com - relatively simply in our climate models. Research Fund, looking at the interac - plexity model, and use it alongside a Every time we add another factor, it adds tions between the stratosphere and the more sophisticated one to try and under - another layer of complexity. The core of troposphere. ‘These are often treated as stand the dynamic coupling in detail.’ Small, but not insignificant…

Subtle quantum effects in the motion of energy was involved. molecules across a metal surface have This esoteric quantum phenomenon been detected by Stephen Jenkins and is linked to the fact that we are unable to postdoc Marco Sacchi, in collaboration make definitive pronouncements about with groups at the Cavendish and at the state of an object, including whether Rutgers University in the US. or not it is standing still. In classical When pyrrole molecules are mechanics, an object can slowly lose deposited onto a metal surface, they nes - energy until it stops moving, but in tle into the hollows between the metal quantum mechanics this is impossible atoms and lie flat. The molecules hop as it only loses energy in discrete pack - from one site to another, with the rate ets, or quanta, and when the last has determined by the amount of energy gone it will still retain some residual required to loosen the bond between vibrational energy. the molecule and the surface enough to This is known as zero-point energy, allow it to move sideways. and is so small it is often assumed not to Experimental results from the have any effect on any measurable prop - Rutgers/Cavendish team had showed erties. While it can be observed when change. Including this in the calcula - that when two coherent beams of bonds are broken, the molecule–surface tions gives a much better correlation helium atoms are fired at the surface bonds are only weakened in this case, with the experimental results. with a delay of a few picoseconds, the and the vibrations of the molecule rela - ‘This is unlikely to be limited to pyr - frequency of the molecules hopping tive to the surface do not change much. role,’ Stephen says. ‘It may happen between sites could be determined from ‘We always knew the biggest contri - whenever a molecule with significant the interference between the beams, and bution to the molecule’s zero-point zero-point energy moves across a sur - therefore the height of the energy acti - energy would come from the residual face with relatively low activation barri - vation barrier. motion of its hydrogen atoms,’ Marco ers. It may have important consequences However, much to their surprise, the says. ‘They are the lightest atoms, and for various applications, from catalysts density functional theory calculations thus most sensitive to quantum effects. to electronic and optical devices.’ carried out by Stephen and Marco didn’t But would that contribution be con - match up with the experimental obser - stant, or would it change as the mole - B.A.J. Lechner, H. Hedgeland, J. Ellis, vations, as they had for earlier studies on cule moved across the surface?’ W. Allison, M. Sacchi, S.J. Jenkins cyclopentadienyl ions. This was some - It turns out that the bending of the and B.J. Hinch, Angew. Chem. 2013, thing of a mystery, until Marco came up molecule as it moves from one site to article first published online: 9 Apr with the idea that perhaps zero-point another causes the zero-point energy to 2013, doi: 10.1002/anie.201302289 Visualising protein activity within living cells Ubiquitin is involved in the control of chains use some form of conforma - ubiquitin system is involved in so many many biological systems, but existing tional selection, and if so, do they different processes in the body that just 3D structural information only gives remodel the ubiquitin structure to get it targeting the protein itself would not be details on the protein in isolation. Now, into the right conformation?’ Sophie practical, as so many other, unwanted, work from Sophie Jackson and David says. ‘Or are these conformations biological effects might occur,’ Sophie Klenerman’s groups gives an insight already present in the cell, in such small explains. ‘By understanding the confor - into how it operates inside cells. quantities that they cannot be seen mations the chains take up as they inter - In collaboration with David Kom- using existing techniques?’ act with other molecules it might be ander from the Laboratory of Molecular State-of-the-art single molecule fluo - possible to disrupt a single interaction, Biology, they applied single molecule rescence methods enabled them to look which may have an effect in ubiquitin- techniques to the problem. In contrast at the conformational dynamics of the linked disease states such as cancer or to X-ray crystal structures on isolated system in solution. ‘We saw novel con - neurodegeneration.’ protein molecules or in-depth NMR formations that had not been seen using analysis, this allowed them to see how bulk methods such as NMR,’ she says. ‘It Y. Ye, G. Blaser, M.H. Horrocks, M.J. ubiquitin interacts with other proteins was very revealing.’ Ruedas-Rama, S. Ibrahim, A.A. inside cells. In future, the insight gained by these Zhukov, A. Orte, D. Klenerman, S.E. ‘We’re interested in whether the pro - studies could have applications in the Jackson and D. Komander, Nature teins that interact with polyubiquitin development of new medicines. ‘The 492, 266; doi:10.1038/nature11722

10 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 Outreach

It caused havoc. While they were test - ing it out late at night, one of the Royal The Modern Alchemist Institution’s technicians started having trouble with his phone – and then the Last Christmas, UK TV viewers were in lights started to misbehave. As did the for a treat – Peter Wothers gave the fire alarm. The next morning, the elec - annual Royal Institution Christmas trical technicians found their lighting Lectures. First held way back in 1825, control panel had developed a mind of the lectures have taken place every year its own. ‘We started to worry that it since, a war-related gap in 1939–42 might fry the TV cameras during film - aside, when the children who make up ing – and, of course, the insurance the audience had been evacuated to the company wouldn’t cover a simulated act countryside. Peter joined a long list of of God!’ he says. scientific luminaries who have given In the end, all non-essential electrical the lectures, such as Michael Faraday, equipment was removed, with just Frank Whittle, George Porter, David handheld cameras brought in to film Attenborough and our own John the experiment – and the fire alarm was Meurig Thomas, with topics across the turned off. But would it work? ‘The breadth of science and engineering. effect was breathtaking,’ he says. ‘Not The theme of Peter’s lectures was ‘The ter milky as carbon dioxide was gener - Preparing the only was the lightning spectacular, it Modern Alchemist’, inspired by the ated. It was really successful – even if I theatre at the started flashing the house lights, chose alchemists’ elements, and then tying in managed to give myself an electric Royal Institution which shots to screen in the director’s our modern understanding of the shock from the sparker, as did techni - was a huge task! gallery on the ground floor, and chemistry of the elements in terms of cian Mark Hudson, when we failed to changed the language into German for the periodic table. However, with three earth it properly.’ the rather bemused editor on the fourth lectures, the first problem was just how Perhaps the most extreme experi - floor – just to remind us who was boss! to divide the elements up between ment was demonstrating the reaction But everything and everyone was fine, them. ‘The alchemists believed there between caesium and fluorine. ‘I don’t and we could even smell the ozone and were four “elements” – air, water, earth think anyone has been crazy enough to nitrogen dioxide produced by the light - and fire,’ Peter says. ‘I decided to focus try that in a demonstration lecture ning, much to our relief!’ on air, water and earth in the three lec - before!’ Peter claims. ‘Dominic Wright The lectures would not have been tures, as fire is imponderable rather helped us out preparing the caesium possible without the help of numerous than tangible, and as anyone who’s ever sample in the vessel. Again, we needed other people in the department. seen any of my demonstration lectures specially designed apparatus, and I’ve a Teaching technicians Mark Hudson and will know, there’s always plenty of fire feeling Dominic thought we were nuts.’ Chris Brackstone were on hand in in them anyway.’ Several special guests made appear - London to help with setting up and ances, too, including Harry Kroto, who running the experiments, and many PERIODIC TABLE OF KIDS was persuaded to throw the switch on others helped to build the apparatus. One feature throughout the three lec - the diamond-burning machine (much These included glassblower Keith tures was a periodic table of kids in the to Peter’s relief, he remained unelectro - Parmenter, John Coston in electronics, audience, with cards to hold up, care - cuted), and also provided his gold and Richard Nightingale and his team fully arranged in the right place. But Nobel Prize medal to finish off the in the workshops, in particular Ollie this posed something of a tecnical chal - gold-weighing experiment. Another Norris and Christopher Ironmonger. lenge – the Royal Institution’s lecture guest was Paralympic cyclist Mark theatre is fairly small and curved, with Colbourne, who provided pedal power Missed out? Thanks to the wonders quite a big rake. to electrolyse water to give hydrogen of modern technology, the lectures ‘It was pretty difficult to get all the and oxygen. are available on the internet for your camera angles to work out so it actually delectation and edification. Go to looked like a periodic table!’ Peter says. LARGE-SCALE EXPERIMENTS www.richannel.org/christmas-lectures/ ‘It took the director an awfully long time As well as the larger scale of some of the 2012/peter-wothers and prepare to to figure out how to do it, but I think experiments, the only real difference be amazed at the incredible power the overall effect worked really well.’ from his normal lectures was that there of chemistry! With three hours to fill and much was a little more pausing between the greater resources than usual, Peter had experiments on occasion. ‘As the lecture the opportunity to do numerous theatre isn’t as big as our BMS theatre, demonstrations he’d never been able to we couldn’t set everything up on stage contemplate doing in the past – some of in advance, and some scene-shifting was which he’d been itching to try for some required,’ he says. ‘We also had to wait time. For example, he’d always wanted for the supercooled water, as we were to show just how dense gold is by bal - ready for it before it was ready for us!’ ancing a person with their weight in But the biggest challenge by far came gold. ‘It would be expensive – and a bit from the Tesla coil that provided the cli - difficult with all that gold lying around max to the first lecture, made by a in the department for days!’ he says. schoolfriend of Peter’s, Colin Tregenza Another one-off demonstration was Dancer, who studied physics. Tesla coils x o

burning a diamond. ‘We designed a are a staple of science demonstrations – c n piece of kit that allowed us to do this, they produce very high voltage alternat - a H

e

using a hydrogen flame and a spark in a ing current, combining nitrogen and n i l o chamber of oxygen gas,’ he says. ‘It oxygen and creating artificial lightning. r a C

needed to be a nice-looking diamond However, this was no ordinary Tesla coil : s o so it was obvious what it was, and I also – it was a giant, suspended from the t o h wanted to show that it turned limewa - ceiling of the lecture theatre. P

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 11 Alumni

him quite a bit in his research, since the major piece of evidence for the struc - Memories of Herchel Smith ture was periodate oxidation, on which I was an expert – especially with regard Apologies for the to riboflavin. poor quality of this So, after the seminar, Herchel and I photo, but we walked back over to chemistry, and in thought it was a the process decided we could synthesise great one anyway! the compound in a very simple and Herchel Smith has straightforward way, using Herchel’s his arm around a expertise with the Birch reagent statue of John (sodium in liquid ammonia). So, to a Dalton, with solution of riboflavin in that mixture, Charles Dekker, we added some 1-bromoglucose, and Dan Brown and that was it. Total time taken – perhaps Hugh Forrest lining 30 minutes. We decided to ask Gordon up behind them for a sample of his natural product to compare with our synthetic one. And that’s when the proverbial hit the fan. Gordon went immediately to his chairman (Chibnall, maybe?), who called Lord Todd. Todd then descended on us with, perhaps, a little twinkle in his eye, and berated us for committing one of British science’s cardinal sins – encroaching on someone else’s terri - Herchel Smith was a graduate student, odds by the bookies at the track. That was tory. He didn’t feel much love for the working with A.J. Birch, from 1948 to hard to do but, occasionally, we would biochemists, particularly after Peter 1951. He worked at a bench immedi - find one and then we’d pounce, by bet - Mitchell, who had been collaborating ately behind mine in the upstairs lab in ting on that one to a high degree (by our with someone in Todd’s group, stopped the old Pembroke Street chemistry labs, modest standards!). On the whole, my the collaboration, went on to win the and most of the other inhabitants of that recollection is that we maybe did a frac - Nobel Prize for chemiosmosis, and lab were postdocs. tion better than might be expected, but reflected none of the glory on Todd. Herchel was involved in steroid certainly our results could hardly be chemistry, unlike the rest of the lab – described as spectacular. Still, it was a lot BANNED FROM BIOCHEMISTRY most were involved in nucleotide chem - of fun – literature research, then its use At the next biochemistry seminar, istry. In particular, he was using Birch on an immediate problem – and plenty Herchel and I were denounced (anony - reductions to produce new synthetic of fresh air. mously!) and, I think, banned from ever steroids. At some time (when was On at least a couple of occasions, we attending them again. We had used mate - always a matter of dispute) he produced went to Newmarket to do, essentially, rial revealed at a ‘private discussion’ a couple of steroids that turned out to the same thing, but not steeplechasing, before publication, and that was infra dig. be effective birth control agents. I think of course. Herchel explained to me the It was a bit of a storm in a teacup, perpe - he took out patents on their synthesis, elaborate signalling that went on trated by totally innocent, just-being-sci - and in due course licensed these to between the stands and the bookies, entists stuents. Wyeth, for whom he went to work after which I suppose is all gone now with As far as I am aware, that was the end he left Cambridge. He made quite a lot the advent of cellphones I was duly of the matter except that, in fact, the com - of money from these, and in the end impressed, not only by its effectiveness, pound we had made was not identical to endowed it to Cambridge and Harvard but also by the fact that it was a living the natural material. We had probably . model of the class system in England – stuck a sugar residue on to one of the SCIENTIFIC BETTING communication between the classes ring nitrogens of the riboflavin instead. I knew him quite well personally, perhaps without physical contact, each sector We didn’t bother to investigate further his closest friend at the time. He told me knowing its place, and the whole work - but, again as far as I know, I am still per - that his father was a bookmaker – in fact, ing with remarkable efficiency. sona non grata in the biochemistry the bookmaker. At racetracks around On one occasion, Herchel and I department at Cambridge! England, bookmakers line up as close to attended the biochemistry seminar, What else can I say about Herchel? the finishing line as is permitted, in an being given by Gordon Whitby, who was A plea to He was a bright, exuberant (in the right order determined by their ‘clout’. the quintessential ‘Cambridge Man’. His readers… circumstances), fascinating character. In Herchel’s dad was at the top of the line. father, Lionel Whitby, had been Master of Sadly, the addition to his high intelligence, he was On weekends, we would go to point- Downing, and Gordon had come to Chem@Cam street-smart, and could operate effec - to-point meetings in the countryside Kings by way of Eton. He was quite a reminiscences tively at that level. He kept himself around Cambridge. These were meetings nice guy, for all of that, but that heritage cupboard is pretty much to himself, apart from the of amateur horseriding enthusiasts who did a lot for him! After Cambridge, I bare. Do you little I have indicated above. He did not raced over a route mapped out by the don’t think he did anything of any scien - have any talk much about his family, his back - locals around the countryside, over hill tific note, but he ended up as a professor memories or ground, or even his ambitions. and dale and fence and brook. There was, of pharmacy (I think) at Edinburgh, and photos of Yet, in a reserved way, I enjoyed his or is, a form book that gave details on finally as vice-chancellor there. your time in company. But our friendship did not horses and their performances at point- His seminar was on a riboflavin Cambridge persist after Cambridge, after I went to to-point meetings all over England. derivative he had isolated, a compound Chemistry? the US in 1951. I visited Herchel once So, as true scientists, Herchel and I made by some bacterium, which turned We’d really when he was living in Philadelphia, would go through the book before each out to be a glucosyl derivative – a glu - love to hear probably around 1954, and we had a race, trying to find a horse that had a cose residue was stuck on to the 5’ end from you! nice time reminiscing. I lost touch with good record but was being given long of the ribityl side-chain. I had helped him after that, which I much regretted.

12 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 Chat lines

Comings & goings Cricket captain Maya New staff Chloe Barker Maya ready for Diane Harris bowling action in Bethan Lewis the preseason nets David Savage

Good news reaches us from first year the central nervous system, using We are sad to report that cleaner Glen PhD student Maya Hanspal – she’s been drosophila models. This is one of the MacElroy died suddenly at the end of asked to captain the university women’s main misfolding proteins in amy - March. Glen had been working in the cricket team. otrophic lateral sclerosis, or motor neu - department since late 2008. Our Left arm spin bowler Maya only rone disease. condolences to his friends and family started playing cricket four years ago, The university plays in the Midlands during the first year of her undergradu - 1A division of the British Universities & ate degree at Sussex. She’s now doing a Colleges Sport women’s cricket league. Glassblower Phil PhD in Chris Dobson’s group, working The first two matches are against with Leila Luheshi. Leicester and Nottingham, with Her research involves investigating Loughborough, Oxford and Warwick sends his thanks the spreading of TDP-43 aggregation in making up the rest of the league.

Glassblower Phil Gallego, who retired last year, has sent on his thanks for his Christmas charity carpark collection retirement gifts – two ‘red letter’ days out in London. In December, we once again allowed city amounting to a shade over First, he says, they visited Kew South Cambridge Rotary Club to use £32,000. Gardens in early autumn, and then ear - our car park at weekends, raising money This time, the charities being sup - lier this year went for afternoon tea at for charity by charging Christmas shop - ported were the Arthur Rank Hospice, Flemings Hotel. pers for parking. Wallace Cancer Care, Wintercomfort, ‘Kew was so beautiful, and we had An impressive £4,550 was raised Dogs for the Disabled, and the the most wonderful tea at Flemings,’ he from the chemistry car park, with the University of Cambridge Veterinary says. ‘Thank you all once again!’ total from all their parking efforts in the School Trust. The Corporate Associates Scheme Arecor Thanks to the generosity of the depart - I Access to emerging Cambridge F. Hoffmann-La Roche Astex Therapeutics ment’s Corporate Associates, we have research via conferences, special brief - been able to benefit the education and ings and various publications; GlaxoSmithKline AstraZeneca environment for students and staff. For I Access to the department library Heptares Therapeutics AstraZeneca Cambridge – example, the Associates make significant and photocopying/printing facilities; IDBS Medimmune contributions to the library for journal I Regular communications about subscriptions. Moreover, they provide upcoming events and colloquia; Illumina Asynt I exam prizes, faculty teaching awards Subscriptions to department publi - Johnson Matthey Catalysts Biotica Technology and summer studentships, and have cations, including Chem@Cam; recently funded the refurbishment of a I Priority notification of and free Maruzen International Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma state-of-the-art meeting room with tele - access to departmental research lectures; I Merck, Sharp & Dohme BP conferencing and display facilities. Ability to hold ‘Welcome Stalls’ in Research Laboratories BP Institute Corporate Associate membership not the department entrance hall; only provides essential support for the I Preferential conference rates; Novartis Bristol-Myers Squibb department, but also provides numer - I Free access to the teaching lectures Pfizer Cambridge Biotechnology ous benefits to help members work with held within the department; us and achieve their business objectives. I The full services of the Corporate Procter & Gamble Cambridge Display Technology Members enjoy many benefits through Relations team to facilitate interaction Cambridge Medical Innovations their enhanced partnership with the with students, staff, and other parts of Royal Society of Chemistry department, such as: the University of Cambridge to help Sigma-Aldrich CambridgeSoft I Visibility within the department; achieve your corporate objectives. Chemical Computing Group I A dedicated meeting room and If your organisation would be inter - Society for Chemical Industry office for members to use while visiting ested in joining the Corporate Associates Takeda Cambridge Cornelius Specialties the department; Scheme, then please email Sian Bunnage Dr Reddy’s Custom I Invitations to recognition days and at [email protected], or call Unilever Pharmaceutical Services networking events at the department; 01223 336339. Uniqsis

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 13 Chat lines A spot of festive cheer

The annual assistant staff Christmas party in December brought back some familiar faces – and brought out some festive clothing! Nathan Pitt was on hand with his camera to capture the occasion

Clockwise from the right: Emma Graham shows off her fabulous Christmas jumper; Bob Baron and Richard Preston; Alan Battersby and Finian Leeper; Mike Todd-Jones and Chris Chalk; Alan Parsons, Chris Lowe and Asha Boodhun tuck into the buffet; Russell Currie, Tim Dickens, Frank Lee and Mark Miller; Karen Valelli and Gaby Bocchetti

14 Chem@Cam Spring 2013 Puzzle corner

Last issue’s solutions including stealing my cups of tea), Pat Lamont Smith, Alison Griffin (who says Yb Sn Th Ca Ne Hg Zn Zr Nd ChemDoku that, luckily for her, watching Peter Hg Nd Zr Sn Zn Th Yb Ca Ne Several readers managed to spot the con - Wothers’ Royal Institution Christmas nection between the elements in last Lectures reminded her sufficiently of the Ne Ca Zn Yb Nd Zr Th Hg Sn issue’s ChemDoku – the atomic numbers periodic table that she was able to guess of neon, calcium, zinc, zirconium, tin, and then check the multiples-of-10 Sn Yb Hg Th Ca Nd Zr Ne Zn neodymium, ytterbium, mercury and hypothesis), Robin Pope (who says it thorium are 10 times the value of the was a very In-TENS choice of elements – Nd Zn Ne Zr Yb Sn Hg Th Ca more normal sudoku numbers of 1 to 9. groan!), Paul Littlewood (who says he Correct answers arrived from John thought for a minute the link would be Zr Th Ca Zn Hg Ne Nd Sn Yb Turnbull, Keith Parsons, Jim Dunn, Ian that they were all silvery in appearance Zn Hg Sn Nd Zr Ca Ne Yb Th Potts (who says that, as luck would have but, of course, neon doesn’t fit into that it, he could check the atomic numbers in category), Robin Foster, Ian Fletcher, Ca Ne Nd Hg Th Yb Sn Zn Zr the book he was reading at the time, ‘The Annette Quartly and John Campbell. disappearing spoon’ by Sam Kean which The cat has been having a lovely Th Zr Yb Ne Sn Zn Ca Nd Hg provides interesting info about half the morning sleeping in the wardrobe (and elements up to copernicium, and which very cosy she looked, too, when I went reward for such taxing endeavours? he describes as unputdownable), Tim to disturb her), but has been persuaded Stealing my tea! O’Donoghue (who rather cheekily to relinquish her slumbers in favour of attempted to influence the cat with a car - sitting on sheets of paper on the office £20 prizes are on offer for each toon of fish – nice try, Tim, but unfortu - floor. And this time, the lucky sheet of puzzle. Send entries by email to nately she’s not a big fish fan, though she paper belonged to John Campbell – the [email protected] or by snail mail to is rather partial to dairy products, £20 prize is on its way to you. And her Chem@Cam at the address on p3

This issue’s puzzles the word with another, in the same posi - element is used more than once, no tion, to give a new word until the end answers begin with zero, no transuranic word is reached. For example, you can elements are used, and non-chemical ChemDoku go from LEAD to LOAD to GOAD to clues may refer to the origin of names of GOLD. In this puzzle, you have to the elements. Bh Se Hf Si change LEAD into GOLD by following the instructions below, and in as few Across stages as possible. 2. Father x daughter Se Sb Tc 1. Every one of the instructions in num - 4. Element spelt differently in the US x bers 3 to 6 must be followed at least element of beauty Na Nd once in the chain, and only one such 5. Group 1 x Group 0 intervention is allowed each time to 8. Element which suffers from ‘plague’ produce a new word. x element which melts in the hand Sg Si 2. No proper nouns or abbreviations are 10. Element which may have killed allowed. All words must be found in a Newton x Group 0 Nd Na Hf dictionary such as Chambers. 11. Element which may have killed 3. A letter may be added to a word, in Napoleon x parent element of series Se Sg any position, without altering the order of any of the other letters. Down 4. A letter may be removed from a word, 1. Continent x town on that continent Sg Tc provided that the word remaining is 2. Group 1 x Group 7 not less than four letters long. 3. Highest numbered non-radioactive Hf Nd Na 5. A letter may replace a letter in the element x Group 1 word, provided it occupies the same 6. Ancient element x metal with single- position as the removed letter (the letter symbol Tc Bh Sb Se normal rule for these types of puz - 7. Group 0 x element which gave zles). Mendeleev problems with atomic This issue’s ChemDoku doesn’t really 6. A completely new word may be weight have a clever link between the elements. formed as an anagram of the previous 9. Transition metal x transition metal However, they do vaguely make a word. whose atomic number is 2 greater sequence. Any idea why this sequence cannot be longer? As ever, you don’t 1 2 3 need to be able to answer the follow-up Crossnumber question to enter (though we always like And finally, as we only had one puzzle 4 to hear your suggestions) – just unravel last time, here’s a bonus one to make up the ChemDoku itself! for it. This cheeky little crossnumber 5 6 7 puzzle from David Wilson is carefully designed to get the arithmetic cells of Transmutation readers going. All you have to do is to 8 9 This puzzle come from one of our regu - enter into the grid the results of multi - lar setters, Keith Parsons. He says that the plying the atomic number of each pair 10 word-ladder or word-chain puzzle will of elements the clues lead to (note that, be familiar to most people. In that puz - in many cases, the clues might lead to 11 zle, one word is changed into another more than one element, just to make by successively replacing one letter in things a little trickier). He adds that no

Chem@Cam Spring 2013 15 What do you mean, you don’t think we’ve quite got the hang of Switch Off week?

Chem@Cam is written, edited and produced

by S ARAH H OULTON

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