News items about Faculty Members
Jasti Group Hosts Steppingstone Students
For a second year in a row, Prof. Ramesh Jasti‘s group has hosted students from the Steppingstone Foundation to share with them the excitement of nanoscale research. Steppingstone is a non-profit that develops and implements programs which prepare urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college success. This year the students learned about nanoscale […]
Porco Tumor Inhibition Research Reported in Science
A new study co-authored by John A. Porco, Jr., Professor of Chemistry and Diector of the Center for Chemical Methodology and Library Development at Boston University (CMLD-BU), along with collaborators at the Whitehead Institute has identified rocaglamide A, an inhibitor of translation initiation, as a strong inhibitor of Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1) activation. HSF1 […]
NIH Grant Investigates HIV with Artificial Virus Nanoparticles
Collaborators, Dr. Bjoern Reinhard, BU Chemistry, and Dr. Suryaram Gummurulu, BU School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, have received an award from the NIH to investigate the role and mode of action of non-virus encoded surface functionalities in the capture of HIV-1 by dendritic cells. Entitled “Elucidating Non-Virus Encoded HIV Capture through Artificial Virus Nanoparticles (AVNs),” […]
Biology and Chemistry Combine to Develop In Vivo Cancer Probe
MIT Whitehead Institute senior scientist, Dr. Luke Whitesell, and Boston University’s Prof. John Porco, Director of the CMLD-BU, have received a 3-year award from the NIH entitled “Inhibiting the Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1)-regulated transcriptional program in cancers.” This combined biology/chemistry team aims to identify highly potent and selective HSF-1 inhibitor probes with useful activity […]
Chemistry Teaching Enhanced by Three New Instructors
This fall, Chemistry welcomes three new instructors to its teaching core. Dr. Rebecca Loy has joined the department as Course Coordinator for the organic chemistry laboratory program (CH 203/204/214). In addition to developing the laboratory curriculum and giving the pre-laboratory and course lectures, she directs and trains the courses’ Teaching Fellows and Undergraduate Assistants. Prior […]
DOE Funds Keyes to Develop Novel Gas Hydrate Simulation Methods
Gas hydrates – ice with small molecules trapped in cages – are important for the energy sector because they store natural gas and carbon dioxide, block gas pipelines with an enormous cost impact, and hold potential for hydrogen storage and water purification. In a 3-year, $500K award, the Department of Energy has funded Prof. Tom […]
NIH Funds Allen to Explore Insulin-Linked Metabolic Pathway
Continuing their highly productive (32 publications), 20-year collaboration, Professor Karen Allen and Dr. Debra Dunaway-Mariano, University of New Mexico, have received a 4-year, $1.26 million award from the NIH. The team is known for much of the current understanding of catalysis and specificity of the Haloalkanoic Acid Dehalogenase Superfamily (HADSF). This current award, “Structure and […]
Chemistry Receives NSF REU Site Award
The National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates Program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. For the second time, BU Chemistry has received one of these coveted site awards. Focused on the theme “Fundamental Research in Chemistry Addressing Problems in Biology,” […]
NSF Funds Reinhard Group to Develop Optical Multiparametric BioSensors
The NSF Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBETS) has funded Bjoern Reinhard and his Co-Investigator, Professor Luca Dal Negro (Electrical & Computer Engineering,) to combine the advantageous photonic and plasmonic properties of nanostructured surfaces to develop a multiparametric responder that improves sensitivity and selectivity of conventional biosensing platforms through combined analysis of […]
Jasti Carbon Nanohoop Research Featured in C&E News
In a July 19 article, C&E News reported on the work of Professor Ramesh Jasti and his Group on carbon nano hoops. Cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) or nanohoops are made from para-linked benzene rings. Stacking of CPPs could be the basis for preparing useful quantities of pure carbon nanotubes. However, CPPs are so difficult to make that they […]