Chemistry Commons^™

A Bis-Urea Naphthalene Macrocycle Displaying Two Crystal Structures With Parallel Ureas, Michael F. Geer, Mark D. Smith, Linda S. Shimizu

Faculty Publications

Herein we synthesized a bis-urea macrocycle from 2,7-dimethylnaphthalene that displays an unusual parallel urea conformation. The naphthalenes also adopt a bowl shape over the anticipated parallel planar orientation. Crystallization of the macrocycle from different solvent systems affords two solvated forms. 1·DMSO·(H₂O)₂ has an extended columnar structure where parallel macrocycles are linked by intervening hydrogen bonded water molecules. In 1·(MeOH)₂direct hydrogen-bonds link the macrocycles into chains, which hydrogen-bond with methanolmolecules to form a layered structure.

Trypanosoma Cruzi - Derived Sugar Epitopes - Synthesis And Immunology, Erika Y. Monroy^, Roger A. Ashmus, Jamal Khamsi, Andrew Pardo, Nathaniel S. Schocker, Rosa A. Maldonado, Kayla Vasquez, Alexandre F. Marques, Igor C. Almeida, Katja Michael*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2011

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease. As of today no effective vaccine has been developed for it. Certain developmental stages of T.cruzi express cell surface oligosaccharides with terminal alpha-galactosyl and rhamnosyl residues, which are believed to be highly immunogenic in humans. The exact structures and sizes of these epitopes are still unknown. Our quest is to shine light on the chemical structures of immunogenic alpha-Gal and alpha-Rha containing mono-, di-, and trisaccharides that are conjugated to a keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) carrier protein through a combination of chemical synthesis and immunological studies. The compounds …

Drug Design, Biological Activity, And Metabolic Consequences Of Cytotoxic Platinum Compounds: Utilizing Fluorescent Tagging To Understand Drug Action And Metabolism, Brad Benedetti

Theses and Dissertations

Platinum drugs are among the most commonly used chemotherapeutics for the treatment of testicular, head and neck, ovarian, small cell lung, and colorectal carcinomas. Although the current set of platinum chemotherapeutics has proven somewhat successful, the overall success of platinum based drugs is limited due to acquired drug resistance and a limited range of tumor types that are treatable with the current regime. The development of novel cytotoxic platinum based compounds, both trans- and polynuclear, provides for the promising treatment of clinical platinum drug resistant tumors. While the cytotoxic activity of platinum drugs provides for a hopeful outlook, the ultimate …

Optimization And Implementation Of Entrapment: A Novel Immobilization Technique For High-Performance Affinity Chromatography, Abby J. Jackson

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The proper use of high performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) in the study of biologically-related systems requires that careful attention be paid to the nature in which the affinity ligand is incorporated into the stationary phase.  Ideally, the behavior of the immobilized ligand should mimic the behavior of the ligand in its natural environment.  Retaining the soluble form of the ligand, by avoiding covalent immobilization completely, is one effective way to retain the activity of the ligand.  Previously, noncovalent immobilization techniques that do not modify the ligand of interest have included physical entrapment onto low performance supports.

This dissertation introduces an …

A Global Assessment Of Gold, Titanium, Strontium And Barium Pollution Using Sperm Whales (Physeter Macrocephalus) As An Indicator Species, John Pierce Wise Sr., W. Douglas Thompson, Sandra S. Wise, Carolyne Lacerte, James Wise, Christy Gianios Jr., Christopher Perkins, Tongzhang Zheng, Lucille Benedict Phd, Michael D. Mason, Roger Payne, Iain Kerr

Department of Chemistry

This study provides a global baseline for barium, gold, titanium and strontium as marine pollutants using the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) as an indicator species. Barium, gold, titanium and strontium are metals that are little studied in marine environments. However, their recent emergence as nanomaterials will likely increase their presence in the marine environment. Moreover, nanosized particles are likely to exhibit toxic outcomes not seen in macrosized particles. Biopsies from free ranging sperm whales were collected from around the globe. Total barium levels were measured in 275 of 298 sperm whales tested for barium and collected from 16 regions around …

Optimization Of Multiplex Pcr For Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis For Salmonella Typhimurium, George Hafez, Remington Turner, Andrea Haskett, Rajesh Nagarajan

College of Arts and Sciences Poster Presentations

Salmonella typhimurium infects an estimated 1.4 million in the United States and kills over five hundred annually.  The current way of categorization, Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and antibiotic sensitivity testing, lack the ability to distinguish between some closely related strains.  We are attempting to optimize a new technique of categorization, Multiple Locus Variable number tandem repeat Analysis (MLVA).  We made changes to temperature and concentration variables within the multiplex PCR procedure to streamline the identification process.  By optimizing the multiplex PCR procedure we intend to create more consistent amplification of the loci used in MLVA analysis, which will improve …

Fluorescent Studies Of Peptidic Hemoglobin Binding Ligands, Chris Brackett, Brian Brennan, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Scanning Electrochemical Microscopic Imaging Of Taste Cells, Aaron Moore, Melinda Baur, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Monitoring The Electrochemical Activity Of Biological Samples Using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy, Erica Woodall, Melinda Baur, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

The goal of the project is to develop the Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) as a tool to study the biological effects of oxidative damage on rat pheochromocytoma cells (PCI2 cells). SECM is a useful tool for the analysis of biological samples because the ultramicroelectrode tip of the probe can detect the presence of electrochemically active compounds such as neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine, while simultaneously characterizing the topography of the cell. The topography of the cell was determined by maintaining a constant distance between the tip of the electrode and the surface of the cell. In the collector mode, the …

Synthesis Of A Thirty Member Macrocycle For Use In Host-Guest Chemistry, Keith A. Lehuta, Rebecca Roesner, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis, Elisabeth Sonta, Brian Brennan, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

No abstract provided.

The Low Resolution Structure Of Apoa1 In Spherical High Density Lipoprotein Revealed By Small Angle Neutron Scattering, Zhiping Wu, Valentin Gogonea, Xavier Lee, Roland P. May, Vitaliy Pipich, Matthew A. Wagner, Arundhati Undurti, Thomas C. Tallant, Camelia Baleanu Gogonea, Francesca Charlton, Alexander I. Ioffe, Joseph A. Didonato, Kerry Anne Rye, Stanley L. Hazen

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Spherical high density lipoprotein (sHDL), a key player in reverse cholesterol transport and the most abundant form of HDL, is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Small angle neutron scattering with contrast variation was used to determine the solution structure of protein and lipid components of reconstituted sHDL. Apolipoprotein A1, the major protein of sHDL, forms a hollow structure that cradles a central compact lipid core. Three apoA1 chains are arranged within the low resolution structure of the protein component as one of three possible global architectures: (i) a helical dimer with a hairpin (HdHp), (ii) three hairpins (3Hp), or (iii) an …

Spectroscopic (Ir, Nmr, Uv-Vis), Theoretical Study And Optical Properties Of 9,10-Dihydrobenzo(A)Pyrene-7(8h)-One And 7, 8, 9, 10-Tetrahydrobenzo(A)Pyrene, Mireya Martinez

Undergraduate Research Conference

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic molecules found in the environment. The PAHs are formed from incomplete combustion, are found in diesel exhaust particles, grilled foods, gas burners, emission from wood, and cigarette smoke. These compounds are known to be carcinogenic and mutagenic1,2. Spectroscopic studies were performed on two PAHs, 9,10- dihydrobenzo(a) pyrene-7(8H)-one and 7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene, which helped to characterize them. Also, a theoretical infrared study was done on 9,10-H2BaP, a scaling factor was found for a simulated infrared spectrum.

Dna-Inks For 3-D Printing: Dna Composites For The Rapid Prototyping Of Scaffold In Bioengineering Applications, Jimena I. Aguirre^, Ryan B. Wicker, Mireya A. Perez, Juan C. Noveron*, Juan M. Sanchez

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2011

Rapid-prototyping has become an incredible technique that manufactures three-dimensional objects with intricate complexity down to 8µm of resolution. We are developing materials that can be used by rapid-prototyping instruments to make scaffolds for bioengineering applications. Our molecular design involves the polymerization of a  (vinylbenzyl)trimethyl-ammonium chloride and DNA solution. Upon UV illumination, the composite polymerizes and forms DNA-hybrid materials.  The end result becomes a ductile transparent material with a thin cross-section. The synthesis, characterization and application of rapid prototyping will be described. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Light Scattering Detector (LDS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Infrared Spectroscopy indicate the structure, characteristics, …

Toxicity Of Tio2 Nanoparticles In Cucumis Sativus, Fabiola Moreno-Olivas^, Isaac Montes, Alia D. Servin, Hiram Castillo-Michel, José R. Peralta-Videa, Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2011

Nanoparticles (NPs) have a wide range of applications in medicine, electronics, catalysis, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. TiO2 NPs are very stable and can be transported and dispersed into aquatic environments. Several animal species have shown negative reaction to TiO2 NPs. However, little is known about their toxicity on plants, specially their possibility to enter the food chain via the crops utilized or subsequent production steps. We have studied the possible genotoxic effects of TiO2 NPs on cucumber (Cucumis sativus), a worldwide cultivated species that serves as food for insects and other animals in the food web. Seven-day old hydroponically …

Chemistry & Biochemistry Newsletter, Department Of Chemistry & Biochemistry, South Dakota State University

Chemistry & Biochemistry Newsletter: 2002-2015

Inside:

Page 2 Chemistry Professor Recognized for Instructional Excellence: Studies How Students Learn

Page 3 CBC Scientist Decorated for Service in Antarctica

Page 4 Department of Defense Graduate Fellowship Awards Will Help Fund Cyanide Research

Page 5 3M Foundation invests $250,000 in Freshman Chemistry; Recent Publications and Grants

Page 6 NIH RO1 Grant Will Address Congestive Heart Failure

Page 7 Scholarship Award Winners; 2010-2011 Chemistry Graduates

Page 8 Student Research Focuses on Soil Health

Determination Of Lead In Soil And Phytoremediation Trials, Erin Semple, Kimberly D. Chichester, Maryann Herman, Irene Kimaru, Cara Patrick

Undergraduate External Publications

No abstract provided.

Sequencing Of Amine Nucleoside Polymers: Understanding The Fidelity Of Dna-Directed Reductive Amination, Sarah M. Anderson

Honors Student Works

DNA replication is a form of template-directed polymerization that occurs with the aid of numerous enzymes. By developing a DNA replication mimic that can undergo template-directed polymerization without enzymes, the scope of template-directed polymerization will be broadened beyond biological systems. One template-directed polymerization method that has proven successful is reductive amination on a DNA template, a two-step polymerization reaction involving equilibrium imine formation followed by reduction of the imine to the amine. Because DNA-directed reductive amination is an information transfer system, it should proceed with fidelity; however, the extent of fidelity must be explored. These studies will require the ability …

Increasing Binding Strength For Capsaicin Analogs Through Alteration Of Lanthanide Chelates, R. Kruger Bressin, Christopher G. Gulgas

Theses & Honors Papers

Capsaicin is the molecule in peppers that produces a sensation of heat and pain when exposed to sensory nerve cells in the body. A series of ethylenediaminetetracetate bis­amide chelates have been synthesized with regions selective for capsaicinoid binding to determine which functional groups increase overall binding strength. The initial lanthanide complexes bound capsaicinoids with moderate strength (approximately 105 M" 1). Additions to the bis-amide region of the chelating ligand aim to increase the selectivity of the lanthanide complex for capsaicinoids. Derivatives have been synthesized that contain aromatic rings and carbon chains to augment binding strength via the hydrophobic effect. Upon …

Dna Barcoding Of Sea Turtle Leeches (Ozobranchus Spp.) In Florida Coastal Waters, Triet Minh Truong, Audrey E. Mcgowin Ph.D.

Chemistry Student Publications

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease originally identified only on green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). The disease is likely to be terminal if tumors are developed internally, but external tumors on the eyes, mouth, and flippers can also lead to fatal impairment of vision and difficulty feeding and swimming. The involvement of an environmental cofactor appears possible since many FP outbreaks occur at sites of poor water quality in Florida, Hawaii, Brazil, and other similar places around the world, but outbreaks have also been recorded at less contaminated sites. Studies have shown an association between FP and the fibropapilloma-associated turtle …

Engineering Cooperative Tecto-Rna Complexes Having Programmable Stoichiometries, Neocles B. Leontis, Irina V. Novikova, Bachar H. Hassan, Marina G. Mirzoyan

Chemistry Faculty Publications

High affinity and specificity RNA-RNA binding interfaces can be constructed by combining pairs of GNRA loop/loop-receptor interaction motifs. These interactions can be fused using flexible four-way junction motifs to create divalent, self-assembling scaffolding units ('tecto-RNA') that have favorable properties for nanomedicine and other applications. We describe the design and directed assembly of tecto-RNA units ranging from closed, cooperatively assembling ring-shaped complexes of programmable stoichiometries (dimers, trimers and tetramers) to open multimeric structures. The novelty of this work is that tuning of the stoichiometries of self-assembled complexes is achieved by precise positioning of the interaction motifs in the monomer units rather …

Suppression Of The Plasmon Resonance In Au/Cds Colloidal Nanocomposites, Elena Khon, Andrey Mereshchenko, Alexander N. Tarnovsky, Krishna Acharya, Anna Klinkova, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Ian Nemitz, Mikhail Zamkov

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The nature of exciton-plasmon interactions in Au-tipped CdS nanorods has been investigated using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The study demonstrates that the key optoelectronic properties of composite heterostructures comprising electrically coupled metal and semiconductor domains are substantially different from those observed in systems with weak interdomain coupling. In particular, strongly coupled nanocomposites promote mixing of electronic states at semiconductor-metal domain interfaces, which causes a significant suppression of both plasmon and exciton excitations of carriers.

Synthesis And Analytical Evaluation Of Folate Conjugates For Use In Cancer Cell Detection, Rakeshkumar V. Desai

All Capstone Projects

Folate receptors have two glycosyl phosphatidylinositol anchored isomers, alpha and beta. Folate receptor alpha binds with high affinity for folic acid and act as a receptor for mediated transport of folate into the cells. Folate is necessary for DNA metabolism and thus it is speculated that rapidly dividing cancer cells have an increased necessity for folic acid. Folate receptor alpha levels eminent in specific malignant diseases (like solid tumors and leukemia) and thus folate receptors serve in the detection of FR+ (Folate receptor positive) and diagnosis of cancers.

In general, liposomes have the capacity intake the most imaging and toxic …

Rudimentary G-Quadruplex-Based Telomere Capping In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, J. S. Smith, Q. Chen, Liliya A. Yatsunyk, John Michael Nicoludis , '12, M. S. Garcia, R. Kranaster, S. Balasubramanian, D. Monchaud, M.-P. Teulade-Fichou, L. Abramowitz, D. C. Schultz, F. B. Johnson

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

Telomere capping conceals chromosome ends from exonucleases and checkpoints, but the full range of capping mechanisms is not well defined. Telomeres have the potential to form G-quadruplex (G4) DNA, although evidence for telomere G4 DNA function in vivo is limited. In budding yeast, capping requires the Cdc13 protein and is lost at nonpermissive temperatures in cdc13-1 mutants. Here, we use several independent G4 DNA-stabilizing treatments to suppress cdc13-1 capping defects. These include overexpression of three different G4 DNA binding proteins, loss of the G4 DNA unwinding helicase Sgs1, or treatment with small molecule G4 DNA ligands. In vitro, we show …

Section Abstracts: Chemistry

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Chemistry Section for the 89th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 25-27, 2011, University of Richmond, Richmond VA.

Determination Of 237np In Bioassay Fecal Samples, Bettylou M. Wahl

All Capstone Projects

²³⁷Np, a long-lived alpha-emitting actinide, is present in the environment due to releases from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, reactor accidents, and nuclear reprocessing plants. The determination of long-lived actinides, such as neptunium, is essential for worker monitoring and environmental control. In bioassay and environmental samples, a radiochemical separation is necessary before measurement in order to eliminate any inferences that may occur in a mixture of actinides. In this paper, a method for determining ²³⁷Np in fecal samples using TEVA resin is investigated. Using ²³⁹Pu as a tracer, tetravalent plutonium and neptunium were successfully separated from other actinides. …

Improved Analytical Analysis Of A Pressurized Water Reactor Secondary Loop, Megan J. Holba

All Capstone Projects

In the nuclear industry, the addition of poly-acrylic acid (PAA) as a dispersant to the secondary cooling loop in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) has been found beneficial in keeping the corroded Fe in solution. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the addition of PAA to Braidwood Nuclear Power Station and other plants, to show the benefits of PAA implementation and to evaluate the current method for Fe detection. The current analytical method for the X-Ray Fluorescence Detector has an upper detection limit of 5,000 μg Fe, however, the results frequently exceed the upper limit. In …

Detection Of Folate Binding Protein, Anwer Unnisa

All Capstone Projects

Cancer is the second leading cause of death despite the anti cancer developments including hormone therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy. Chemotherapy includes use of potent drugs such as camptothecin, paclitaxel and mitomycin. These drugs have an effect which is dose responsive, where the drug exposure and cell kill are proportional. This chemotherapy is high dose and has less selectivity for cancer cells and has more toxic effect to normal cells. Such kind of non specific treatment to tumor is causing hurdles in the treatment of cancer by chemotherapy. To overcome this current limitation to chemotherapy, the anti cancer drug with high specificity …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanoparticulated Rifampicin, Lakshmi Sai Priyanka Guttikonda

All Capstone Projects

Rifampicin is a naturally made, non-peptide antibiotic. It is bactericidal, killing by disabling the protein expression system universally conserved by all bacteria. Specifically, it inhibits the RNA polymerase protein, which is responsible for binding to a strand of DNA as a template and using it to construct a strand of mRNA. The reason rifampicin works so well is that it is a rigid molecule, and sits tightly in the pocket where it binds, allowing the bonds to be very strong. However, this also means if an amino acid with the edge of the channel with a small side chain is …

Purification And Analysis Of Folate Dye Conjugates, Anisha Hari Ganji

All Capstone Projects

Folate receptors play an important role in drug delivery systems as they are known to increase the potency and reduce toxicity of many cancer therapies. Folate receptors are present in abundance on cancerous tissues more so than on non-cancerous tissues. Folate binds to a variety of drugs that include chemotherapeutic agents, liposomes, radio-imaging agents, immunotherapeutic drugs and the like. Folate has been researched and used over the past decade as it is inexpensive and binds to the folate receptors with high affinity when compared to monoclonal antibodies. Nuclear imaging by SPECT and PET has interested many researchers. Other processes include …