Episode 62: Dr. Bruce McCord on the Chemistry behind Crime Scene Investigations
Often in crime shows and movies, we usually skip to the result of forensic testing. But have you ever wondered how investigators get those results? On this exciting episode of Let’s Talk Chemistry edited by Presley Vu, hosts Amber Bakkum and Mehreen discuss our interview with Dr. Bruce McCord, Analytical and Forensic Chemistry Professor at Florida International University and deputy editor for the journal ELECTROPHORESIS. Dr. McCord talks all about his work on drug analysis, explosive detection, and DNA analysis, including a new way of identifying forensic DNA by capillary electrophoresis and detecting dangerous substances like fentanyl using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. We hope you enjoy!
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Episode 61: Dr. Lance Wells on Glycobiology
The term “glycobiology” may be unfamiliar to many students, as it is an undertaught but extremely important field that is linked to nearly every facet of cellular biology. Glycobiology is the study of carbohydrates, also known as glycans. On this exciting episode of Let’s Talk Chemistry edited by David Alvia, hosts Erin Suh, Jasmine Winter, and Diya Garrepally dive into our interview with Dr. Lance Wells. Dr. Wells shares his research on XLID, an intellectual disability syndrome linked to mutations in OGT, an enzyme that adds a type of glycan, called O-GlcNAc, onto proteins. He also shares how glycans can be used to modify drugs through a process called glycosylation to make them more effective. We hope you enjoy!
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Episode 60: Dr. Jonathan Sessler on Cancer Therapy and Texaphyrins
Dr. Jonathan Sessler, Professor of Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, is no stranger to taking an active role in directing his own path. Being a three-time Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer survivor, Dr. Sessler’s battle with cancer inspired him to research porphyrins, a class of pigments which are essential for biological processes like oxygen transport. On this exciting episode of Let’s Talk Chemistry edited by Jasmine Winter, hosts Neel Youts and Jason Lu discuss our interview with Dr. Jonathan Sessler, from unique upbringing growing up in a family of scientists to his pioneering work on creating expanded porphyrins called texaphyrins and co-founding Pharmacyclics, a successful biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of cancer therapies. We hope you enjoy!
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Episode 59: Dr. Paul Chirik on Modern Alchemy
Dr. Paul Chirik, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry and the Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Princeton University, researches something he calls “modern alchemy.” As many of the world's most effective chemical catalysts are made from rare and precious metals, Dr. Chirik pioneers methods to create high-performing catalysts from common, earth-abundant metals—esseintially transforming common materials into “gold.” On this exciting episode of Let’s Talk Chemistry edited by Presley Vu, hosts Mehreen and Elizabeth Li dive deeper into this concept and its exciting applications in our interview with Dr. Chirik. Dr. Chirik goes on to explain how his group has used their research in collaborations with companies such as Merck and Exxon Mobile, and shares fascinating insights into the dynamics between academia and industry. We hope you enjoy!
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Episode 58: Nobel Laureate Dr. Benjamin List on Organocatalysis
Nobel laureate Dr. Benjamin List is one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research and professor of organic chemistry at the University of Cologne. On top of that, he is known for pioneering a brand new field of chemistry, organocatalysis, which is now used in nearly all pharmaceutical industries. On this exciting episode of Let’s Talk Chemistry edited by David Alvia, hosts Jasmine Winter and Elizabeth Li dive into our interview with Dr. List as he shares his journey to earning the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, his recent investigations into a unique way of splitting CO2, and more. We hope you enjoy!
About Let's Talk Chemistry- a science podcast by ChemTalk
ChemTalk (chemistrytalk.org) is a brand-new non-profit, whose mission is to make chemistry more fun, easier to learn, and more accessible to people around the world - in the safest manner possible and also to be perceived in a more positive way. On our podcast, we interview chemists, scientists, and educators from across the globe who show the many career paths that involve chemistry, and how a love for chemistry can manifest itself in many unique ways.
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