Chemistry

The Chemistry Department welcomes Dr. Alberto Perez to the Physical Chemistry division to contribute to the strengths of the department in computational models of macromolecules. Dr. Perez got his PhD in the University of Barcelona (Spain) under the supervision of Modesto Orozco and F. Javier Luque. He later joint Ken Dill?s lab first at UCSF and then at Stony Brook university as a postdoc and later as a Junior Fellow/Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Perez?s research focuses on the integration of experimental data (e.g. EPR, cryoEM, solid state NMR) into physics based simulations of proteins, DNA and their interactions with other molecules. Ultimately, his goal is to help determine structures of macromolecules and understand their mechanisms of action and pathways.

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Dr. Boone Prentice will join the University of Florida this fall. Professor Prentice received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Purdue University under the mentorship of Professor Scott McLuckey. He then worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University with Professor Richard Caprioli as a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA postdoctoral fellow (NIH F32). Research in Professor Prentice?s group will focus on using next-generation bioanalytical mass spectrometry to better understand the molecular basis of health and disease. Specifically, he will focus on developing imaging mass spectrometry technologies that leverage novel instrumentation and chemical transformations to enable the visualization of biochemical processes directly in tissue specimens. By combining the chemical specificity of mass spectrometry with microscopic imaging capabilities, Professor Prentice?s lab aims to understand the molecular events associated with important problems in human health, including cancer, infectious disease, and diabetes.

The UF Department of Chemistry is excited to welcome Dr. Matthew Eddy as a new assistant professor in the divisions of chemical biology and physical chemistry. Dr. Eddy earned his undergraduate degree at Oberlin College, mentored by Professor Manish Mehta, and his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the laboratory of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pioneer Professor Robert Griffin. Dr. Eddy was an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Scholar in the laboratories of Nobel Laureate Professor Kurt Wuthrich at The Scripps Research Institute and Professor Raymond Stevens at the University of Southern California, where he leveraged an integrative structural biology approach to gain fresh insights into the functions of human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Research in Dr. Eddy’s group at UF will focus around developing new tools for investigating the functions of human GPCRs and other cell surface receptors directly in their native environments, with a crucial role for advanced NMR spectroscopy applications. According to Dr. Eddy, the human proteome contains 826 different GPCRs, which control a wide array of physiological processes that make them one of the largest protein families targeted by FDA approved drugs. By investigating the structures and functions of GPCRs directly in their native environment, Dr. Eddy’s group will investigate how the synergy among human drugs, their receptors, and their cellular environment can be rationally controlled to develop new therapies.

This Fall the UF Department of Chemistry will continue to expand its strength in natural products synthesis and chemical biology with the addition of Dr. Jeff Rudolf. A graduate of Walla Walla University in Washington, Dr. Rudolf earned his Ph.D. at the University of Utah with Dr. C. Dale Poulter, a preeminent isoprenoid biochemist. As a postdoctoral researcher on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute, he trained in the lab of Professor Ben Shen, co-chair, and professor in the Department of Chemistry and director of The Natural Products Library Initiative at TSRI Florida. The research in Dr. Rudolf’s laboratory at UF will be aimed at discovering new drugs from natural resources using cytochrome P450 enzymes. According to Dr. Rudolf P450 enzymes are well known throughout biology, most notably for steroid biosynthesis and metabolizing drugs or other chemicals in humans. As explored by his research P450 enzymes can also be used as tools for transforming drugs, providing synergy with other research groups interested in modifying small molecules. At UF his research in part will look at P450 enzymes in Streptomyces the same bacteria that produce clinically useful drugs and drug leads including antibiotics, anti-cancer, and anti-fungal drugs. The future impact of Dr. Rudolf’s research has been recognized by a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), a highly competitive career transition grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Dr. Weihong Tan will receive the Ralph N. Adams Award for Bioanalytical Chemistry in 2019. This award recognizes significant contributions to the field of bioanalytical chemistry, broadly defined. The recipient will have introduced a significant technique, theory, instrument or application important to the life sciences, and provided an exceptional environment to educate bioanalytical chemists. The award is named after Prof. Ralph N. Adams (1924 – 2002) who exemplified these characteristics as a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Kansas. The Ralph N. Adams Award will be included as an Award symposium for Pittcon for half a day with about five speakers.

The Analytical Chemistry Division is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2018 Roger and Jo Bates Graduate Fellow. Established by Prof. and Mrs Bates in 1996, this annual award recognizes overall excellence in research, teaching, and service for Ph.D. students in the analytical chemistry division. This year’s recipient is Mr. Robin Kemperman. Robin is a graduate of HAN University of Applied Sciences and a member of Prof. Rick Yost’s group. His research focuses on novel developments in ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) for small molecules. He explored the separation of isomeric metabolites and he has developed a unique strategy for (un)targeted metabolomics with IM-MS using isotopic ratio outlier analysis (IROA), an alternative isotopic labeling technique. This work has resulted into a patent application. In addition to research, Robin is a committee member on the student conduct board at UF, research mentor of several undergraduate students, and works for a non-profit organization, Empowered Prosthetics, here on campus where he assists students in an interdisciplinary research environment. Congratulations Robin!

The Analytical Chemistry Division is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2018 Herbert A. and Marjorie G. Laitinen Graduate Fellowship, Ms. Juliette Experton. This award recognizes overall excellence in research, teaching, and service for a Ph.D. student in the analytical chemistry division. Juliette is a graduate of Ecole Normale Superieure De Lyon and a member of Prof. Chuck Martin’s research group. Her dissertation research focuses on the development of low-voltage methods using gold-microtube membranes for cell electroporation and manganese dioxide particle synthesis. Congratulations Juliette!

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Tarrant Summer Graduate Research Scholarships. The endowment honors Prof. Paul Tarrant, a member of our department from 1946 to 1981, and this award promotes outstanding research for graduate students working in the division of Organic Chemistry.

This year’s recipients are Xiaoming Su and Ouidad Lahtigui. Xiaoming, who received her B.S. degree in chemistry from Renmin University, is a member of Prof. Lisa McElwee-White’s research group and is working on the design of tungsten oxide precursors for chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Her research also includes film growth study using CVD technique and film characterization. Ouidad received her M.S. degree in chemistry from Strasbourg University and is a member of Prof. Alex Grenning’s research group. Her research involves the development of iterative cyclization strategies to rapidly access the core of bicyclic and tricyclic terpenoid natural products.

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Ann R. Stasch Summer Fellowships. The endowment honors our first woman doctoral student, Ann R. Stasch, Ph.D., 1956 and recognizes excellence in research, scholarship, teaching, leadership and service.

The 2018 recipient is Yunlu Zhang. Yunlu, who received her M.S. degree in chemistry from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is a member of Prof. David Wei’s research group and studies the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of metal nanoparticles, especially the plasmonic metal surface and matter interaction under visible light irradiation. Congratulations to Yunlu!