Department of Chemistry

Lester Andrews receives the APS Earle K. Plyler Prize

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:03:36 +0000

Lester S. Andrews was awarded the 2010 Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy from the American Physical Society. The prize is given for his work on vibrational spectroscopy in cryogenic matrices that, combined with quantum calculations, has led to the identification and characterization of many molecules, ions, and complexes across the periodic table. The Plyler Prize will be presented at the APS March 2010 meeting in Portland, OR, at a special Ceremonial Session.

U.Va. Researcher Aims to Make Cancer Manageable

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:13:32 +0000

Until recently, treatment for cancer – though quite sophisticated in practice – has been limited to three basic approaches: killing cancer cells by removing them surgically, blasting them with radiation or poisoning them with chemotherapy. The goal is to destroy all malignant cells, curing the cancer and preventing remission. Even when these three approaches are used in combination and treatment is administered repeatedly, some cancer cells survive, and the disease can and does recur.

In a way, the flaw in this line of attack has been its ambition. In the last few years, a number of treatments have been approved with the more modest goal of simply holding cancer in check. They do this by blocking the cellular pathways that enable cancer cells to grow and flourish.

TAU Therapeutics, based on intellectual property patented at the University of Virginia by Timothy Macdonald, a medicinal chemist, and former faculty member Lloyd Gray, a pathologist, specializes in developing cancer-fighting drugs that control the calcium T-channel in cells – tiny transient openings in the cell membrane that allow calcium, which is necessary for cell proliferation, to enter the cell.

“If we can stop the tumor cells from dividing, we can provide a meaningful increase in lifespan,” Macdonald said.

New Light-emitting Biomaterial Could Improve Tumor Imaging

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:10:44 +0000

Cassandra Fraser and graduate student Guoqing Zhang synthesized a new material by combining a corn-based biopolymer with a dye that is both fluorescent and phosphorescent. The phosphorescence appears as a long-lived afterglow that is only evident under low oxygen or oxygen-free conditions. The new material simplifies the imaging of oxygen-deficient regions of tumors. Such tumors are associated with increased cancer aggressiveness and are particularly difficult to treat.

UVA Undergraduate, Colin McCrimmon, receives two American Crystallographic Association poster awards

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:24:11 +0000

Colin McCrimmon received not one, but two, awards for his poster presentation (”Investigation into the Cause of Disparate Macromolecular Space Group Frequencies” with faculty co-author Cameron Mura) at this past week’s Annual Meeting of the American Crystallographic Association (ACA). Colin received the ACA’s Pauling Prize and the American Institute of Physics Undergrad Poster Prize; more about these awards can be found at
http://www.cins.ca/aca2009/2009_poster_prizes.pdf. Read more at UVA Today.

David Cafiso selected to receive the 2010 Fellow of the Biophysical Society Award

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:53:51 +0000

The Fellow of the Biophysical Society Award is designed to honor the Society’s distinguished members who have demonstrated excellence in science, to the expansion of the field of biophysics and suppport of the Biophysical Society. Professor Cafiso is recognized for his contributions to our understanding of the electrostatic properties of membrane bilayers, membrane protein structure and protein-lipid interactions.

W.R. Kenan Professor of Chemistry, 2009

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:23:53 +0000

NSF CAREER Award, 2009

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:38:38 +0000

CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.

CAREER: An Innovative Study of Membrane Protein - Detergent Interactions was awarded through the Biomolecular Systems Program through the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences.

Brent Gunnoe heads $11 million Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:50:23 +0000

The Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization will focus on identifying catalysts that will allow the conversion of methane into liquid fuels, including the reaction of methane and oxygen into methanol, which, if accomplished, would have the potential to greatly augment gasoline as a more environmentally friendly fuel.U.Va.’s center is one of 46 new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers being funded by the Department of Energy. These centers, being established at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations and private firms, will pursue advanced research to alleviate some of the most pressing energy problems facing the nation this century.

The 46 centers were selected for funding from a pool of 260 applications after a rigorous merit review process. Each will be funded at $2 million to $5 million per year for an initial five-year period.

American Chemical Society PROGRESS/Dreyfus Foundation Lectureship, 2008

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Fellow of the American Physical Society, 2008

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Five ACS Awards in Chemistry and Surface Chemistry including the Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry in 2007

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Member, National Academy of Sciences, 1996

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Medard Welch Award - American Vacuum Society, 1994

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Kendall Award – Colloid or Surface Chemistry - ACS, 1987

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Gold Medal - Highest Award, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1981

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Mead Honored Faculty, 2007

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Eli Lilly & Co. Young Investigator Award in Analytical Chemistry, 2007

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NSF Career Award, 2007

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UVA Sesquicentennial Fellowship, 2007

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Fulbright Fellow 1993

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Sloan Fellow, 1971

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Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, University of Minnesota, 2001

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:34:18 +0000

Fulbright Scholar Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles Gif-sur-Yvette, France, 1978-79

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MacArthur Fellow, 2001

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:32:16 +0000

Coblentz Award, 1999

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:31:52 +0000

Camille Dreyfus Teacher Scholar, 1998

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:31:18 +0000

NSF CAREER Award, 1996

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:30:54 +0000

Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award, 1993

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:30:27 +0000

DuPont Young Faculty Award, 1998

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:26:22 +0000

DuPont today recognized less than 20 young professors from universities in the United States, China, Spain and India with the annual DuPont Young Professor grant. The grants recognize original research in chemistry, biofuels, miniaturization applications for electronics and medicine, structure and function of proteins, nanocomposites, studies in earth science and climate change. The DuPont program, which began in 1967, is designed to provide start-up assistance to promising young and untenured research faculty working in areas of interest to DuPont’s long-term business.

NSF Career Young Faculty Development Award, 1997

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:25:44 +0000