Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminars
Spring 2021
All Friday seminars will begin at 3:10 pm unless noted otherwise.
Wednesday, January 27 at 12:10 pm
Fourth Year Graduate Student seminar in Biochemistry with Ms. Alexandra Cheney. The title of her talk is "A Comprehensive and Integrative Analysis of Metabolic Dysfunction and Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in Familial Dysautonomia. Allie works in the labs of Profs. Valérie Copié and Frances Lefcourt.
Friday, January 29
Dr. David Heldebrant from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will present “How does Carbon Capture Work?”
Abstract: The world is undergoing a renewable energy revolution, though renewables cannot provide enough power for a fully carbon-free energy economy. The burning of fossil fuels will continue for the next two decades to meet our (still growing) energy demands, releasing gigatons of CO2 into the environment. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ICPP) has concluded that the removal of 20 gigatons of CO2 per year from the atmosphere by the year 2050 will limit catastrophic warming by the year 2100. Carbon capture is a process that removes CO2 before or after a fuel is burned to make power. This talk provides an overview of carbon capture, with an emphasis on the technical challenges, the energy burdens, equipment costs, and most importantly the scale of carbon capture infrastructure.
Prof. Mike Mock host
Friday, February 12
Erik van Kuijk, MD, PhD, Professor & Chair, Ophthalmology & Visual Neurosciences at the University of Minnesota, will present "Role of Prophylactic Zinc in Preventing in Severe Disease Progression from COVID-19.” Professor Ed Dratz host. Webex link to follow.
Friday, Feburary 19
Dr. Teresa J. Bandosz, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York
"Beyond Adsorption: Exploring the Silent Aspect of Carbon Porosity"
Abstract:
In this talk we would like to provide an insight into our perspectives on the new applications of nanoporous carbons that were inspired by the graphene features and its presence in these carbonaceous materials. A significant advancement to the “new” science of the “old” nanoporous carbons is in their application as photocatalysts for water splitting, as gas sensors and ORR and CO2RR catalysts. In these applications both surface chemistry and porosity are crucial factors determining the specific performance. We will show an excellent gas sensing capability of carbons and their response selectivity. Photoactivity and electron transfer reactions will also be addressed. The mechanism of the observed processes based on an involvement of porosity will be proposed.
Our inspiration in the science of graphene combined with the comprehensive knowledge of activated carbons surface chemistry, texture, morphology and adsorptive/reactive adsorptive properties directed us to look at carbons from another perspective; from the perspective of nanotechnology. The results obtained by us and briefly addressed here are very new and many questions have arisen, and are left unanswered, and many approaches need improvements. One has to take into consideration that explaining the complex phenomena on nanoporous carbons is not easy owing to the combination of the porosity and surface chemistry effects. Practically either one cannot exist without another and they add up to that's specific and unique synergy provided only by these materials. One thing is certainly true: “adventurous” graphene features can be found in nanoporous carbons and they deserve to be explored and used to their full extent.
Dr. Nick Stadie host
Friday, February 26
Ms. Nida Shaikh will present "Carbon Particulate Adsorption to Aqueous – Air Interfaces and Their Effects On Lipid Film Structure and Organization." Nida is a fourth year graduate student in the laboratory of Professor Rob Walker.
Friday, March 5 -OPEN
Friday, March 12 - OPEN
Friday, March 19 -OPEN
Friday, March 26
Dr. Mei-chen Chang
Thursday, April 1
Ms Angela Patterson will defend her PhD in Biochemistry beginning with a seminar. 12 pm Brian Bothner Advisor
Friday, April 2 -University Holiday
Thursday, April 8
12:00 pm Katie Steward will defend her PhD in Biochemistry. Prof. Brian Bothner advisor.
Friday April 9
10:10 am PhD Defense in Chemistry David Chen
Friday, April 9
Fourth Year Graduate Student Seminar in Chemistry Ms. Erin Taylor. Nicholas Stadie Advisor
Friday, April 16
Profs.' Robert Szilagyi and Nicholas Stadie
Friday, April 23
Jonathan Schelbach, Dept. of Chemistry, Indiana University - Brian Bothner host
Friday, April 30 - open