COVID19 cases are receding in some parts of the world but surging in other parts, especially those with limited access to vaccines, ultimately making the entire world population a vulnerable prey of the constantly emerging new variants. In a recent Science Advances publication, Martina Zafferani of the Hargrove Lab and collaborators tackled the problem by developing antivirals that take direct aim at SARS-CoV-2 RNA structure. They identified amiloride derivatives that can latch… read more about Coronavirus's Tangled Strands of RNA Could Offer New Ways to Treat People Who Get Infected »
DURHAM, N.C. -- To the untrained eye, the loops, kinks and folds in the single strand of RNA that makes up the coronavirus genome look like a jumble of spaghetti or tangled yarn. But to researchers like Amanda Hargrove, a chemistry professor at Duke University, the complex shapes that RNA takes on as it folds upon itself could have untapped therapeutic potential in the fight against COVID-19.
Associate Professor of Chemistry Amanda Hargrove
In a study published Nov. 26 in the journal… read more about Taking New Aim at COVID-19 »
Professor Patrick Charbonneau is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society! Prof. Charbonneau has been recognized for seminal contributions to the understanding of glassy materials, in particular the elucidation of the Gardner Transition and the use of dimensionality in computer simulation as a means to uncover universal features of the dynamics of supercooled liquids and glasses. Each year, no more than one half of one percent of the Society’s membership (excluding student members) is recognized by their peers… read more about Charbonneau Named APS Fellow! »
Prof. Amanda Hargrove was selected by the Women Chemists Committee (WCC) of the American Chemical Society to be a recipient of the 2022 WCC Rising Star Award for excellence in the scientific enterprise. This year’s award recognized nine exceptional women scientists approaching mid-level careers across all sectors who have demonstrated outstanding promise for contributions to their respective fields. An awards symposium recognizing award recipients will be held at the 263rd National Meeting of the ACS in San Diego, CA March… read more about Hargrove is an ACS Rising Star »
Professor Katherine Franz is the recipient of the 2021 ACS Charles H. Stone Award! The award is presented every two years by the American Chemical Society Carolina-Piedmont Section to an outstanding chemist in the southeastern US. The Charles H. Stone award recognizes contributions to the field of chemistry through activities in the scientific community, public outreach, education, and research. read more about Katherine Franz Named as 2021 Charles H. Stone Award Recipient »
Join the Duke Chemistry Virtual Open House on October 27 from 3-5pm! This will be an information session and virtual poster session with current Duke faculty and graduate students. Learn about the Duke Chem PhD Program, application and degree requirements, exciting research within the Department, and life at Duke and in Durham! Register by October 18! read more about Join for a Graduate Open House! »
The Department is seeking a colleague at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank with strong commitments to research, teaching, and advancing a diverse and inclusive community of scholars. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, description of research plans, and a statement describing teaching interests and philosophy of mentoring and fostering diversity in science. Applicants should also arrange to have three letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf. Candidates in all subareas will be… read more about Duke Chemistry is Hiring! »
The National Science Foundation has awarded a five-year, $20 million grant to Duke University researchers to explore and optimize the chemical structure and physical properties of individual molecules in a polymer network.
“The long-term potential of this research includes cost- and time-efficient optimization of the polymers used in products like biomedical implants, building materials and even automobile tires,” said principal investigator Stephen Craig, the William T. Miller distinguished professor of chemistry at Duke… read more about NSF Creates Polymer Chemistry Optimization Center at Duke for Future Materials »
Vanessa Cupil-Garcia, of the Vo-Dinh Lab, has been awarded the 2021 FACSS Student Award from The Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) . The Award is given to the student who has furthered the state-of-the-art in their chosen field(s) and in so doing, advanced the understanding of important scientific or societal questions. Vanessa's research with Dr. Vo-Dinh focuses on integrating nanotechnology and chemistry to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools. She is currently synthesizing… read more about Vanessa Cupil-Garcia Awarded the 2021 FACSS Student Award »
A collaboration between the Yokoyama and Yang Labs has led to a publication of their latest work on the catalytic mechanism of MoaA radical SAM cyclase in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis. In this work, combined efforts using electrochemistry, EPR spectroscopy, and DFT calculation provided evidence that the reduction of the aminyl radical intermediate proceeds by a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) with a 4Fe-4S cluster as an electron donor. The EPR also revealed an electronic coupling between GTP and… read more about Yokoyama and Yang Labs collaborate to find insights into the radical quenching step of radical SAM enzyme catalysis »
Congratulations to Dr. Jack Ganley! Jack, a former graduate student in the Derbyshire Lab, has received a prestigious Simons Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Marine Microbial Ecology! The fellowship will fund research focused on siderophore-mediated crosstalk in microalgae-bacteria interactions. Jack will join Dr. Mo Seyedsayamdost’s lab at Princeton beginning in January. We will miss having Jack in the Department, but wish him all the best in this new adventure! read more about Dr. Jack Ganley Receives 2021 Simons Foundation Postdoc Fellowship »
Dr. Bozenna Krzyzanowska has been named Manager of the Year by National Association of Scientific Materials Managers! In her position as lab preparator for our large undergraduate laboratory courses (including general and organic chemistry), Dr. Krzyzanowska serves nearly 2000 undergraduate students over the course of the academic year and summer sessions, and is responsible for preparing chemicals, materials, and equipment for the laboratory portion of as many as five different courses. Dr. Krzyzanowska played a central… read more about Dr. Bozenna Krzyzanowska Named Manager of the Year by NAOSMM »
Dr. Pengfei Zhou of the Malcolmson Lab, in collaboration with former Malcolmson Lab postdoc Dr. Xinxin Shao, now an assistant professor at Hangzhou Normal University, have developed a new reagent class, 2-azatrienes, that enables the diastereodivergent and enantioselective synthesis of allylic 1,2-diamines through copper-catalyzed reductive couplings with imines. Both syn- and anti-diamines are key fragments in a number of potent bioactive molecules and are each formed selectively in their respective CuH-… read more about Malcolmson Lab Develops a New Reagent for Diastereodivergent and Enantioselective Synthesis of Allylic Amines »
The Department is thrilled to announce the joint hire of Professors Kathryn Haas and Jim Parise! The two former graduate students will return to Duke from St. Mary's College and Notre Dame, respectively, and join the undergraduate team. Dr. Kathryn Haas will begin as an Associate Professor of the Practice in August and will lead the physical and analytical chemistry laboratories. Dr. Jim Parise will join the department in January as an Associate Professor of the Practice to enhance the general and organic… read more about Welcome New Faculty »
When he was an undergraduate political science student, Kerry Haynie was never taught about the 1921 Tulsa massacre. Nor was there much discussion about the role of race in the founding political documents of this country or much examination of how race influenced public services such as sewer lines and zoning.
In one sense, a lot has changed. In 2021, Duke’s faculty includes a strong lineup of leading scholars who examine how race is embedded in issues that cross all the schools of the university. This fall, many of… read more about University Course Raises Race as a Central Element of Undergraduate Education »
For most of her 35 years at Duke, Joan Albright worked in interior office on the medical campus with little or no natural light. A few years ago, when she ended up in an office with a window in an office building downtown, she was thrilled.
Joan Albright has found a comfortable work spot in her kitchen. Photo courtesy of Joan Albright.
And when the COVID-19 pandemic forced Albright to work from home, she wasn’t ready to give up on working in… read more about Getting the Job Done in Unique Workspaces »
Chemistry
