Olivia DrakeRex Pratt, the Beach Professor of Chemistry, is the co-author of “Substituted aryl malonamates as new serine b-lactamase substrates: Structure-activity studies,” published in Bioorganic & Mecicinal Chemistry,18, 282 in 2010; “Approaches to the simultaneous inactivation of metallo- and serine- b-lactamases,” published in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters,19, 1618; 2009; “Inhibition of class A and C b-lactamases by diaroyl phosphates,” published in Biochemistry, 48, 8285, 2009; “Intramolecular cooperativity in the reaction of diacyl phosphates with serine b-lactamases,” published in Biochemistry, 48, 8293, 2009; “Structural basis of the inhibition of class A b-lactamases and penicillin-binding proteins by 6-b-iodopenicillanate,” published in the Journal of the…
Corrina KerrIn this issue, we ask 5 Questions to. . . Erika Taylor, assistant professor of chemistry and chair of the 35th Peter A. Leermakers' Committee. Q. How did you get involved in biofuel research? A.There seemed to be a compelling need for more scientists to look for alternatives to biofuel carbon sources beyond the ones that have already been researched, corn being a common, but problematic one. Q. Can you explain what lignin is? A. Lignin is the second most abundant polymer on the planet (the most abundant polymer is cellulose). Lignin is interwoven into trees, along with cellulose and…
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Lisa Dierker, chair and professor of psychology, and David Beveridge, the University Professor of the Sciences and Mathematics, professor of chemistry, received a $174,999 grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will support an inquiry based, supportive approach to statistical reasoning and applications. The award will be applied Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2012.
The Chemistry Department received a $125,000 grant from the George I. Alden Trust of Worcester, Mass. on Oct. 21. The funds will be used to replace, reconfigure, and add fume hoods in a teaching lab used for introductory chemistry courses.
Philip Bolton, professor of chemistry, received a grant for $76,037 from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The grant, awarded on Sept. 30, is for research titled "Structures and Complexes of Vertebrate Telomere Repeat DNAs." This is a Supplemental Recovery Act Award.
Philip Bolton, professor of chemistry, received a grant for $331,800 from the National Institute of Health on Drug Abuse for his research on "Finding Small Molecules that Modulate Gene Expression." The grant, awarded on Sept. 1, spans for two years.
Rex Pratt, the Beach Professor of Chemistry, received a grant for $414,750 from the National Institute of Health and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The continuation grant was awarded July 30. Pratt's research is titled "Beta-Lactamases & DD-Peptidases: Active site Chemistry."
Brian Northrop has joined the Chemistry Department as the assistant professor of chemistry. His research focuses on the design, synthesis and analysis of new organic materials utilizing molecular recognition, self-assembly and dynamic covalent chemistry. "I wanted to work at a school that has a strong emphasis on teaching and the liberal arts, but I also really enjoy doing high-level research in chemistry and Wesleyan allows me to do both," Northrop says. "Wesleyan is unique in it’s size and strengths, and I’m very excited to be here." Northrop graduated from Middlebury College in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and…
Errors in genomic DNA can lead to tumors and other diseases. By probing specific DNA structures, Ishita Mukerji hopes to gain an understanding of how such medical conditions can be prevented or possibly cured. Mukerji, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, studies how different proteins recognize and bind to DNA. Specifically, she examines four-stranded DNA structures, known as "Holliday junctions," which are involved in DNA repair and recombination. These are different from the common, two-stranded DNA. On April 1, Mukerji will receive a four-year grant worth $798,368 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund her research project, "Structure and…