EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Spring 2016
EMU
Department
of Chemistry
Spring 2016
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY… EDUCATION FIRST
What’s New in Chemistry?
Another exciting year in the EMU Chemistry Department!
SSRI 2016
Outreach Activities
Learn more about the Summer Science
Research Initiative schedule for 2016 on
page 2.
EMU Chemistry faculty participated in the
Digital Divas program to get middle school
and high school age girls interested in science.
Learn more about this and other outreach
activities on page 6.
New Programs
Neuroscience and Fermentation Science were
both approved by Board of Regents in the
past year. Profiles of these new programs are
on pages 2 and 3.
Alumni Spotlight
Catch up with Dr. Ermelinda Harper, ’98 to
find out how the Professional Biochemistry
major has gone on to see the world and our
impact on the environment. Her story on
page 4.
Faculty Highlights
Learn what the faculty have been doing this
year. You’ll find an introduction to our newest
colleague, professional society activities and
awards, sabbaticals and more on pages 5, 7
and 8.
Chemistry Club
See what the Chemistry Club got up to this
year on page 6.
Focus on Students
Find out what our amazing graduate and
undergraduate students have been up to this
year. Page 7 has all the details!
Publications and Presentations
Faculty and students have been busy
publishing and presenting their research this
year; see the list starting on page 9.
2015 Student Award Winners
See Page 11. The 2016 winners will be posted
soon.
ACS CERTIFICATION RENEWED
Every five years, the Chemistry
Department undergraduate program is
reviewed by the ACS Committee on
Professional Training.
This is an
extensive process
requiring the
submission of materials addressing all
aspects of our program. We have just
received the results of the most recent
evaluation indicating continued approval
of our program. The review states "The
very thoughtful and thorough summary
of department activities reflects a
vibrant department that is making
significant improvements in curriculum
and scholarly activity." Additionally,
they cited
"... the recent renovation and expansion
of departmental space, which has
enhanced both instructional and
research activity."
"The increased number of student
presentations at professional meetings
and student co-authorship on faculty
publications..."
"... the emphasis placed on the
assessment of student learning
outcomes, the new approach to
evaluating lab work, and the efforts to
develop students' writing skills."
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
2
Summer Science
Research Initiative
SSRI seeks to create a community of scholars
consisting of both faculty and students that
share ideas and get to know each other
during a series of events such as general
science lectures, laboratory tours, resumebuilding workshops, etc.

Picnic at the Lakehouse, week of May 9

Short student presentations, weeks of
May 9 and 16

Tour of the Ann Arbor Wastewater
Treatment Plant, week of May 23

Lecture: Farsad Fotouhi, Pall
Corporation; The 1,4-Dioxane Plume in
Ann Arbor, Wednesday June 1

Lecture: Lead Levels in Flint Water,
week of June 6

Panel on Graduate School and Resume
Preparation, week of June 13

Final Student Presentations and Poster
Session, week of July 25
REGENT FITZSIMMONS LECTURES
This year’s speaker is Dr. Erin D. Bigler,
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
and Founding Director of the MRI Research
Facility at Brigham Young University. Dr.
Bigler will present the lectures on May 19
(general public) and May 20 (STEM students
and faculty).
A RECEPTION WILL FOLLOW THE TALK ON
MAY 19 IN THE ATRIUM.
For more information…
Please contact Prof. Maria Milletti or
Prof. Harriet Lindsay.
Fermentation Science
by Cory Emal and Gregg Wilmes
rise, such as in the production of biofuel, and
in the production of pharmaceutical products
and precursor molecules.
Fermentation is the process by which
organisms convert carbohydrates into energy
and other by-products in the absence of
oxygen. "Fermentation" is commonly used to
refer to the production of alcohol from sugars,
as in the production of beer and wine, but it is
also present in many other common
processes, such as the leavening of bread or
the production of sauerkraut. Nationwide,
craft beverages, such as beer, wine, cider,
distilled spirits, and kombucha, have
increased greatly in popularity, as have
fermented foods, such as yogurt, bread,
cheese, dry-cured sausage, and kimchi. This
growth has been spurred both by an increase
in small batch, artisan-crafter products and by
the recognition of the potential health
benefits of a diet that includes fermented
foods
containing
active
organisms.
Additionally, non-food fermentation is on the
As the market for these products has
increased, so has the need for trained and
knowledgeable college graduates to fill
scientific positions in these rapidly growing
industries. The Fermentation Science
program at Eastern Michigan University has
been designed to bring together subjects
from multiple disciplines and to frame them in
the context of the science of fermentation
and its practical application. The program
includes a foundation in Chemistry, Biology,
and Physics along with newly designed
courses directly related to fermentation. As a
culmination of the degree, majors will
participate in a capstone project in
cooperation with local businesses in the
fermentation industry to apply what they
have learned to real-life problems. The
degree can be further customized through the
selection of appropriate electives in science,
business, and hospitality.
You can visit our facebook page or our
website for more information about this
exciting new program.
Cory Emal , PhD, Organic and
Medicinal
Chemistry;
background in the chemistry of
beer. Trained and certified as a
beer judge through the Beer
Judge Certification Program
(BJCP); received formal training through the
Siebel Institute of Technology, and is a member
of American Society of Brewing Chemists
(ASBC), the Ann Arbor Brewer's guild (AABG)
and the American Homebrewer’s Association
(AHA).
Gregg Wilmes, PhD, Organic and
Polymer Chemistry; background in
food fermentation, especially
bread
and
aged
sausage
production.
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
3
SCIENCE COMPLEX NEWS
By Wei-Chung Allen Lee, Hayden
Huang, Guoping Feng, Joshua R.
Sanes, Emery N. Brown, Peter T.
So, Elly Nedivi [CC BY 2.5
(http://creativecommons.org/licen
ses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia
Commons
Building Tour Opportunity
Would you like a guided tour of the newly remodeled
Mark Jefferson Science Complex before the Annual
Awards Banquet on April 8, 2016? If enough people
express an interest, we will arrange some tours. Contact
the Chemistry office (by email or by phone at 734-4870616) to be added to the list!
Neurosciences
by Pamela Young
The new neuroscience major is a dynamic,
interdisciplinary scientific program that
strives to understand the structure and
functions of the nervous system and their role
in behavior and various neurological diseases.
How things have changed!
There’s the new building, of course, but how have things
changed in Chemistry over the past few years? Let the
numbers tell the story…
FAST FACTS
41%
Increase in the Number of Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded
in Chemistry and Biochemistry Since 1986
80%
Increase in Number of Credit Hours of Undergraduate
Research Since 2002
25
Average Number of Undergraduate Symposium
Presentations from Chemistry in 2014-15, the most ever!
Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents
approved the program at its regular meeting
Oct. 13.
Neuroscience focuses on the brain and its
impact on behavior and cognitive functions.
New technology and research now allow
neuroscientists to study the nervous system
in many aspects: how it is structured, how it
works, how it develops, how it malfunctions,
and how it can be changed. Research can be
done at multiple levels, ranging from the
molecular and cellular levels to the systems
and cognitive levels.
Traditionally, neuroscience has been
classified as a subdivision of biology,
however, the field is now an interdisciplinary
science. Eastern Michigan’s program will be a
cooperative effort among the departments of
biology, chemistry and psychology, devoted
to understanding brain-behavior structure,
function and relationships, and reflects the
contemporary growth of neuroscience as its
own discipline.

Clinical neuroscience – researches
disorders of the nervous system.

Cultural neuroscience – studies how
beliefs, practices and cultural values are
shaped and are shaped by the brains,
minds and genes over different time
periods.

Developmental neuroscience – examines
how the nervous system develops on a
cellular basis.

Neuroinformatics – combines data
across all areas of neuroscience to help
understand the brain and treat diseases.
The new program will provide students with a
solid background and preparation for
graduate school programs that lead to careers
such as neuropathology, neurophysiology,
neuropharmacology,
neurobiology,
developmental psychology and educational
psychology.
For more information on how the Chemistry
Department is involved in this exciting
interdisciplinary program, contact Dr. Hedeel
Evans.
Neuroscience, based on research areas and
subjects of study, includes but is not limited to
such branches as:

Affective neuroscience –studies how
neurons behave in relation to emotions.

Behavioral neuroscience – looks at how
the brain affects behavior.
The Cell and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Research Space is just part of the interdisciplinary
approach EMU is taking to research and teaching.
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
4
Alumni Spotlight
by Dr. Ermelinda Harper
Ermelinda Harper is a
1998 graduate of EMU
with a professional biochemistry degree. As a
student, she received
numerous
honors.
Among them, she




was awarded Third Team status in USA
TODAY's All USA College Academic
Team. At the time, she was the only
EMU student to have received this
honor.
was named a Barry Goldwater
Scholar. The purpose of the Foundation
is to provide a continuing source of
highly
qualified
scientists,
mathematicians, and engineers by
awarding scholarships to college
students who intend to pursue research
careers in these fields
received the 1998 Bert W. Peet Award
winner. This award goes to top
graduating
EMU
Chemistry
or
Biochemistry major.
was the student emcee at the 1998
Undergraduate Symposium. She was
the third student ever selected for this
position.
Below, in her own words, Dr. Harper tells the
story of her academic and professional career.
“I changed majors at least a dozen times in my
first year of undergraduate! I finally selected a
major that stuck and decided upon a premedical track. Everything was finally set, and
then in walked Dr. Elva Nicholson and organic
chemistry.
At the time, I did not have a lot of confidence
in my academic abilities. This – combined
with the horror stories I had heard about
organic chemistry – had me literally shaking in
my shoes. For the entire semester, I thought
about almost nothing but organic chemistry.
When the semester ended, I found myself
actually looking forward to the next organic
chemistry class in the sequence. I was
shocked and flattered when Dr. Nicholson
began asking questions about my educational
and career goals.
Over the next year, I found myself thinking
about chemistry a lot, and more and more
chemistry classes crept into my schedule. This
coincided with my spending more time in the
laboratory of a chemistry professor, Dr.
Michael Brabec, who I still regard as my most
important mentor. Spending the summer at
Eastern Michigan University working with Dr.
Brabec in a National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
position “sealed the deal”, and I changed my
major one more time: to professional
biochemistry.
After being graduated from Eastern Michigan
University, I lived in Beijing, China, teaching
for a year and then working at an
environmental consultancy for another year.
During this time, I saw firsthand the
environmental challenges and degradation
that developing countries face. The
encouragement that I received in science –
combined with my experience in China –
ultimately coalesced into my decision to
pursue
graduate
studies
with
an
environmental focus.
I was graduated with a Master of Science
degree
in
civil
engineering
from
Northwestern University. With the support of
a National Science Foundation Graduate
Research Fellowship, I pursued further
graduate work at Yale University. At Yale, I
completed two master’s degrees along the
way to my PhD in engineering and applied
science. As a doctoral student, I studied the
element tungsten, determining quantitative
estimates for how the United States has used
it and traded it, in all of its forms, for a 25-year
period, and the ultimate fate of the products
that remained in the United States (i.e.,
estimates of how much was recycled versus
discarded in landfills). The results illuminated
how the United States uses tungsten, and
what recycling potentials might exist.
My work as a research scientist at Yale
University shifted to studying metals use,
recycling, and resources. This work has
become increasingly important in light of
emerging technologies (e.g., solar panels and
smart phones) that employ metals whose
supply may be uncertain, and it has received
wide attention from academia, industry, and
the general public. So far, I have co-authored
16 peer-reviewed publications throughout my
education and career.
The guidance and support so generously,
continuously, and graciously given by
extremely talented Chemistry Department
faculty members was invaluable and, quite
honestly, the best I ever received. The didactic
and laboratory training at Eastern was
rigorous, comprehensive, and inspiring. I
firmly attribute every success that I have had
to the mentorship that I received at Eastern
Michigan University, both as a member of the
Honors Program and as a chemistry student.
My decision to change my major one last time
was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
Do you have an alumni
update to share?
We would love to hear from Chemistry
Department alumni and feature your
stories on our website and next year’s
newsletter. We have a whole page on the
Department website for Alumni (click here
to go right to that page). Send your
updates and stories to Ross Nord.
Photos from the archive
Chem Club demos
November 1, 2006
Award winners, 1999
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
5
Faculty Highlights
Welcome Brittany Albaugh
Brittany
Albaugh
received her undergraduate degree in
Cell and Molecular
Biology at Grand
Valley
State
University,
where
she first became
interested
in
pursuing mentoring
and teaching undergraduates in science and
research. She went to the University of
Wisconsin and received her PhD in
biochemistry. There, she worked with John
Denu in elucidating kinetic mechanisms of
epigenetic enzymes and drug targeting of
epigenetic proteins. She stayed at Wisconsin
and received her postdoctoral training on the
epigenetic basis of Breast Cancer with Avtar
Roopra. Throughout her graduate and
postdoc work she continued to receive
training in teaching in mentoring. Currently,
Professor Albaugh is setting up a
biochemistry
research
lab
studying
epigenetic proteins involved in cancer
aggression. Additional information about Dr.
Albaugh can be found on her departmental
webpage.
Nina Contis named ACS Fellow
Beginning in 2009,
the
American
Chemical Society has
annually recognized
a select group of
members for their
contributions
to
science and the
chemical profession. Professor Ellene (Nina)
Tratras Contis was one of this year's 78
honorees (out of a total ACS membership
exceeding 158,000). The ACS website listed
the following contributions made by Dr.
Contis:
Contribution
to
the
science/profession:
Recognized for vision and leadership in
cutting-edge strategies to engage students
into the STEM community and for work in
studying short-lived fission products of
uranium-235 and trace metal analysis of
water.
Contribution
to
the
ACS
community:
Recognized for leadership on the Committee
on International Activities, chairing the
Europe and Middle East Subcommittee,
directing long-term global strategic planning
efforts and International Chemical Sciences
Chapter development, and co-organizing and
chairing
symposia
and
international
conferences.
The Chemistry Department is proud to
Professor Contis as a faculty member and of
her significant contributions listed above. We
sincerely congratulate her on her selection as
an ACS Fellow. In addition to this recognition,
Prof. Contis was appointed the new Chair of
the International Activities Committee of the
ACS.
Amy Johnson spends sabbatical
designing General Chemistry
materials
Professor Amy Johnson
spent
a
one-semester
sabbatical in Fall 2015
developing course materials
for General Chemistry that
address how knowledge of
the concepts of Chemistry
have evolved to give us the contemporary
view of the atom. All science evolves and is
self-correcting, and Dr. Johnson is developing
classroom materials that will impress upon
students an understanding of how the natural
and physical world of atoms is built upon
evidence in support of hypotheses, where
inductive,
deductive,
and
intuitive
approaches serve as the vehicle for discovery.
Dr. Johnson plans to integrate case studies of
scientific progress as a strategy for supporting
student learning of the how the discipline is
practiced. The intended format for delivery
of instruction will involve flipping the
classroom, where content will be provided
outside of class and where students will be
actively engaged with the case studies in the
classroom.
Ruth Ann Armitage enjoys
sabbatical at Oxford
From October 2014
through the end of
March
2015,
Professor Armitage
spent her sabbatical
at the Research
Laboratory
for
Archaeology and the History of Art at the
University of Oxford. A brief report from her
follows:
“There are not many researchers working on
archaeological chemistry here in North
America, so to really get involved, I knew I’d
need to travel abroad. As is often the case
with these things, an opportunity arose over
discussion of a poster at a conference. The
funding EMU provides for a full-year
sabbatical made it possible to pursue this
opportunity to go to Oxford and pick up a
project started by a textiles expert.
I thought I’d be working on identification of
dyes in ancient textiles from a salt mine in
Iran, but instead I ended up working to
develop a protocol for identifying ancient silk
fibers through protein mass spectrometry.
Silk fibers have long been used in textiles and
jewelry, even before the Bombyx mori
silkworm was domesticated in China
sometime around 3000 BC. The main protein
in silk, fibroin, differs in its sequence
depending on what insect produced the silk.
We hoped that this would be a useful way of
differentiating wild from domesticated silk, as
the physical characteristics that make it easy
to distinguish them in fresh fibers are lost
under archaeological conditions.
Six months flew by in a flash, and we do have
some interesting results showing that it is
possible to use mass spectrometry to identify
silk fibers, even when the textiles are
contaminated and degraded. Considering the
departure of the proteomics technician in
December, several instrument breakdowns,
and innumerable other delays, I’m amazed I
got that far!
The good thing about those delays is that
they provided many opportunities to explore
Oxford. Every corner has so much history! My
new heroine is Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin;
every day, I walked past a blue marker on the
Inorganic
Chemistry
building
commemorating her Nobel Prize in Chemistry
in 1964. At the time, x-ray crystallography
was considered “not real chemistry” (a phrase
I’ve heard before…) and her laboratory was
relegated to the basement of the university
museum!
I also had wonderful opportunities to visit
other archaeological sciences programs in the
UK, and to tour the new laboratory spaces at
the British Museum. It was a productive
sabbatical – the joy of having time to write! At
my sendoff the Friday before I left, everyone
told me that once you come to Oxford, it’s
always with you, and will bring you back,
someday. It was certainly an experience I’ll
never forget and an opportunity I’ll always
treasure.”
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
6
Outreach Activities
Digital Divas
Other outreach events
Digital Divas is an annual day-long program
for middle-school and high-school-aged girls.
Its primary focus is encouraging them to
pursue careers in the science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields. For the
last several years, Dr. Larry Kolopajlo,
assisted by Sharon Vance and a number of
student volunteers, has run sessions during
the program. During the most recent
program, in November 2015, their session was
entitled “Secret Messages” and the girls used
disappearing ink, acid/base indicators, and UV
pens to write and read secret messages. They
also used disappearing paper that would
dissolve in water. In addition, they learned
about detecting counterfeit currency and
taking fingerprints. Finally, there were some
fun demonstrations including “elephant
toothpaste” and blowing up hydrogen-filled
balloons.

Another Digital Divas event is coming
up in April 2016. Prof. Kolopajlo will be
running a chemistry session again, this
time with high school-age students.

The ACS Project SEED summer research
program opens new doors for
economically disadvantaged students to
experience what it’s like to be a chemist.
Students entering their junior or senior
year in high school are given a rare
chance to work alongside scientistmentors on research projects in EMU
Chemistry laboratories, discovering new
career paths as they approach critical
turning points in their lives. In 2016,
EMU will again host two SEED students.
EMU Chemistry Club
by Tim Friebe, Chem Club advisor
The Chem Club started out the 20152016 academic year by hosting the
annual Chemistry Department Picnic
held at Candy Cane Park in Ypsilanti.
Although the weather was not ideal,
the food certainly was! One of this
year’s Chem Club goals is to promote
an interest in chemistry through
outreach activities. We provided fun
demonstrations at the CSIE annual open house and
hosted a webinar open to the university from the
American Chemical Society: Tales of Lab Safety: How to
Avoid Rookie Accidents. The Chem Club also took their
show on the road and visited Shepherd of the Lakes
School where the demonstrations entertained over 200
students as well as their teachers! Making slime was as
usual, a huge hit! Other activities included a T-shirt
design contest, tutoring during finals week and
participation in campus student life activities. For more
information, please visit the chemistry department web
site.
Students at Digital Divas, April 2015
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
7
Focus on Students
Undergraduate Symposium
The 35th EMU Undergraduate Research Symposium was held at the
Student Center on Friday, March 27, 2015. The program included 23
presentations sponsored by the Chemistry Department representing
the work of 28 chemistry students. Click here to see pictures and a
listing of all of the Chemistry Department presentations.


Congratulations to Gavin and Kimberley Edwards on the arrival of
Lucas Gabriel Edwards. He was born 9:25 am on Wednesday,
January 13, 2016. He was 8 lb 1 oz and 21.5 inches. Both mom and
baby are fine.
Nina Contis (PI) and Nirit Glazer (co-PI), were selected into the
NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program; “Gulliver Innovative
Learning: a Platform for Managing Kinesthetic Activities”, a 6month grant award to engage with industry and translate our
research innovation into products that benefit society.
Other notable accomplishments

Christopher Haskin (Edwards) was selected by the McNair
Program as "McNair Scholar of the Year for 2014-2015."

Ahmed Oudief (Lindsay), Bridget Kennedy (Backues), Andrew
Durden (Milletti), and Amy Markowitz (Janser) were granted
Undergraduate Research Stimulus awards for Summer 2015.

Philip Elugbemi (Emal) and Rakeenja Fluellen (Emal) successfully
completed their Honors Senior theses.

Briana Sohl (Holmes) and Jasmine Winzeler (Holmes) received
research fellowships at the University of Michigan to engage in
summer research.

Dean's Student Travel Awards to present their research at the ACS
National Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

Joshua Hunt (Lindsay), Jamie Reder (Lindsay), Ahmed Oudeif
Andrew Durden (Milletti), Jamie Reder (Lindsay), Sohail Rana
(Janser), Damien Sheppard (Backues), Briana Sohl (Holmes), and
Carson Zois (Backues) received winter 2016 Honors

Hokyung Shin (Janser) received an Undergraduate Research
Stimulus Award for winter semester.

Amy Johnson was appointed to the Distinguished Faculty Awards
Committee.

Nina Contis and Nirit Glazer had their application selected as the
EMU internal awardee for the competition NSF: Partnerships for
Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity.

Jose Vites received a College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Program
Development Initiative for his proposal “Study of STEM student
retention at EMU.”

Ruth Ann Armitage received a $3000 grant from Women in
Philanthropy for her project “Dating and Chemical Analysis of
Textile Fragments from Seip Moud Group.”

Jeff Guthrie received tenure and was promoted to associate
professor.

Cory Emal was promoted to full professor.


Gavin Edwards gave an invited presentation at the ACS meeting in
a special section on “Creative Advances in Environmental Science
and Technology”.
Harriet Lindsay received a $5000 grant from Women in
Philanthropy for her project “Enhancing ACS Project SEED by
Partnering with McNair Scholars.”


Cory Emal was named on two patents that were granted covering
the PAI-1 inhibitors developed through his collaboration with Dan
Lawrence’s lab at the University of Michigan.
Brittany Albaugh received a Provost’s New Faculty Award for
$5000 for her project entitled "Mechanism of cancer drug
inhibition to the protein called UHRF".


Ruth Ann Armitage was a featured speaker at this Fall's Midland
ACS section meeting. Here talk was entitled "Colors of the
Past: Archaeological Chemistry of Natural Dyes".
Vance Kennedy, Tim Brewer, Hedeel Evans & Heather Holmes,
Debbie Heyl-Clegg, Ingo Janser, Larry Kolopajlo, and Don Snyder
received Provost’s Research Support Awards.


Larry Kolopajlo presented a talk on fuel cells at the Metropolitan
Detroit Science Teachers Association on November 7.
Cory Emal was part of a successful proposal “Develop a Preclinical
Data Package for a Small Molecule Inhibitor of PAI-1” submitted
by his collaborator, Daniel Lawrence, to the University of
Michigan’s Michigan Translational Research and
Commercialization (MTRAC) for Life Sciences Program.
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
8
Faculty Research Fellowships
Several faculty members were awarded Faculty Research
Fellowships for the 2015-16 academic year. Briefly, here are
some descriptions of their proposed projects.
Dr. Ruth Ann Armitage proposed to develop the use of
paper spray ionization for characterization of peptides
in textiles of archaeological materials on the AccuTOF
mass spectrometer that is located in the Chemistry
department. The results of this research project will
provide a more accurate approach to identification of
the composition of proteins in archaeological materials
than the current method of visual identification using optical or scanning
electron microscopy that is made more difficult when specimens are
degraded or contaminated, which is a common occurrence in
archaeological materials.
Dr. Steven Backues proposed to investigate the
proteins involved in a mechanism known as “selective
autophagy” by which cells move material including
pathogens, damaged organelles and toxic protein
aggregates from the cytoplasm to the vacuole of the
cell that degrades the materials. Specifically, Dr.
Backues proposes to purify the regions of proteins that
interact in this process of selective autophagy, which protects against
many diseases including tuberculosis, and Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and
Huntington’s diseases.
Dr. Cory Emal proposed to continue development of
inhibitors of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1
(PAI-1), whose presence in the blood at abnormally high
levels has been linked to cardiovascular dysfunctions
(including heart attacks, strokes, and atherosclerosis),
obesity, and type-2 diabetes. Triplaxitin, a PAI-1
inhibitor, has advanced to early stage clinical trials,
although apparently further efforts to move the drug to further trials are
“presumed to be abandoned, thus opening the door for continued
efforts to find other suitable PAI-1 inhibitor candidates.
Dr. Hedeel Evans proposed to study the mechanism by
which a neuroprotective peptide, humanin, effectively
prevents import of another protein (IGFBP3) into the
nucleus under conditions that model those observed in
Alzheimer’s disease.
Her first goal entails the
determination of the specificity and affinity of importin
nuclear localization sequence with which the protein partners
presumably interact. The other research goal involves determining the
temporal and spatial interaction of human and importin-β interaction
with IGFBP3 in cells under normal conditions and under those conditions
leading to cell death (known as apoptosis), which is one of the central
features observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Deborah Heyl-Clegg proposed to synthesize small
peptides to determine whether they can disrupt the
physical association between two cell-surface
receptors that play a role in depression. This FRF
project follows up ongoing efforts to determine
whether peptides synthesized by Dr. Heyl-Clegg’s
research group are capable of preventing two
subtypes of the cell-surface dopamine receptor from interacting and
thereby potentially preventing effects associated with depression.
Dr. Ingo Janser planned to develop a novel cancer
chemotherapeutic drug that is proposed to effectively
destroy cancer cells that are resistant to cis-platinum
treatment.
The drug targets a phase II drug
metabolizing enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST),
which metabolizes the cis-platinum to a biologically
inactive product.
First, Dr. Janser proposes to
synthesize a cis-platinum derivative that is attached to two ethacrynic
acid (EA) molecules or EA derivatives. Dr. Janser will then submit the
resultant compounds to the Development Therapeutics Program at the
National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to
determine the extent of their ability to kill cancer cells.
Dr. Harriet Lindsay proposed to investigate a type of
organic chemical reaction that builds molecular
frameworks using a “green” approach to synthesis. The
student members of Dr. Lindsay’s research group have
recently discovered a zinc-catalyzed method for
improving the aza-Cope-Mannich (ACM), which
involves a significant reduction in waste produced from
the reaction. The goals are to (1) attempt the zinc-catalyzed reaction in
each of ten alternative solvents that are preferable to (that is, are
greener than) the current solvent used in the reaction, tetrahydrofuran;
(2) determine the extent of the structural alterations that are allowable
in this reaction, by varying the groups that are attached to the molecule;
and (3) modify the zinc catalyst to influence the production of a
particular spatial orientation of the product that might be, for example,
pharmacologically active, relative to an alternative orientation, which
might not have any activity or exhibit toxicity.
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
Presentations
ACS National Meetings: Denver, CO (March 2015) and Boston, MA (August 2015)
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“Platinum (IV) Prodrugs: A Simultaneous Release of Cisplatin and a Glutathione S-Transferase Inhibitor” N. Pilli,
I. Janser
“Synthesis and Kinetic Investigation of Differently Substituted Chalcones” R. B. Gopagani, I. Janser
“Rapid, protecting-group free route to acyl pyrrolidines using imines as substrates in the aza-Cope
rearrangement—Mannich cyclization” H. A. Lindsay, A. Oudeif, J. Reder, B. Yambrosic
“Structural requirements for diastereoselectivity in aza-Cope rearrangement: Mannich cyclizations leading to
2,2-disubstituted-4-acylpyrrolidines” H. A. Lindsay, J. Hunt
“Aza-Cope rearrangement—Mannich cyclizations of imines: A protecting-group free route to acyl pyrrolidines”
H. A. Lindsay, A. Oudeif, J. Reder, B. Yambrosic
"Modeling of Air Quality from Materials Used in Passenger Vehicle Interiors" G.D.Edwards, S. Canaday, P. Stratton
Joint Great Lakes/Central Regional ACS Meeting, Grand Rapids, MI, May 2015
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“Identification of Red Dyes by DART-MS: Examples from North and South American Archaeological Contexts” R.A. Armitage, K. Jakes
“Characterizing 18th-Century Glues on Ceramics from Ferry Farm, George Washington’s Boyhood Home” D. Fraser, R. A. Armitage, M. Kaktins
“DART-MS: A Confirmatory Test for Heme in Bloodstains on Fabric” S. Torres, R. A. Armitage
“Natural Anthraquinone Dyes and Dye Mixtures: Microwave Synthesis and Characterization by Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) Mass
Spectrometry” S. Augustin, T. Friebe, R. A. Armitage
“A new scalable educational technology and the I-Corps experience.” N. Glazer, E. Tratras Contis
“The effect of a bulky vinylic substituent on the stereoselectivity of an aza-Cope Mannich reaction leading to substituted pyrrolidines” A. E.
Winkler, M-C. Milletti
“Modeling interactions between PAI-1 and inhibitor: Combining molecular dynamics and density functional theory” M. Sadowsky, M-C. Milletti
“Exploring the effect of an electron-withdrawing substituent in an aza-Cope - Mannich reaction” A. S. Durden, M-C. Milletti
“Examining the strength of interactions between PAI-1 and a potential inhibitor” B. M. Jewell, M-C. Milletti
“Computational modeling of the interaction between PAI-1 and a small molecule inhibitor” C. Baumer, M-C. Milletti
“Computational analysis of the stereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidines” D. Jones, M-C. Milletti
Central Regional ACS Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, October 2014
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“Phase transfer of gold-silver alloy nanoparticles” T. R. Brewer, B. T. Comstock-Reid, R. Fiedler, V. Marcu
“Chemistry of fermented beverages as a component of an undergraduate curriculum” C. D. Emal
“Fighting bacterial resistance: Modifying the Antimicrobial Peptide Tachyplesin” N. P. Kanneganti, S. Wood and D. Heyl.
“Examining the interface of pyrimidine pathway enzymes using synthetic peptide” N. Alyami, D. Ganti, F. Hachem, D. Evans, D. Heyl, and H.
Evans.
“Exploring the Interaction of Humanin and its Analogs with IGFBP-3 and Regulation of Apoptosis in Alzheimer’s Disease” S. H. Gedara, H. Zhang,
H. Evans, and D. Heyl.
Midwestern Symposium on Undergraduate Research in Chemistry, East Lansing, MI, October 2014
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“Phase Transfer of Gold-Silver Alloy Nanoparticles” B. Comstock-Reid and T. R. Brewer
“Cephalotaxine Analogues – Synthesis of Potential Anticancer Drugs” C. Swanson, R. Gopagani, I. Janser
“Ethacrynic Acid as a Lead Structure for the Development of Potent Urease Inhibitors” S. Blackburn, Z. Azeez, I. Janser
Michigan Chemistry College Teacher Association Conference, Ypsilanti, MI, November 2014
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“Guided-Inquiry Activities in Chemistry” T. R. Brewer
“User Forms for Interactive Excel Worksheets in Teaching Chemistry” L. Kolopajlo
Other conferences, meetings, and invited seminars
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“Identification of Red Dyes by DART-MS: Examples from North and South American Archaeological Contexts” R. A. Armitage, K. Jakes, 7th MaSC
Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 2015
“Proteomics of Silk: Can we use proteins to differentiate wild from cultivated?” R. A. Armitage, Materials Group Seminar, Research Laboratory for
Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, February 2015 (invited)
“Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry for Characterizing Dyes and Residues” R. A. Armitage, RLAHA Department Seminar, Research
Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, February 2015 (invited)
“Water Treatment and Innovation: Background and Overview” E. Tratras Contis, Gii Water Innovation Treatment & Solutions Symposium,
Singapore, December 2014 (invited)
“Study and Research Collaboration Abroad: Trends, Best Practices and Resources” E. Tratras Contis, University Malaysia Technologie in Johor,
Malaysia, and at Siam University in Bangkok, Thailand, December 2014 (invited)
“Proposal Development: Selling Research Ideas” E. Tratras Contis, ACS BOST workshops at five different universities throughout Thailand, June –
July 2015
9
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
Presentations (continued)
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“A Technology-rich Kinesthetic Approach for Teaching and Learning” N. Glazer, E. Tratras Contis, and Y. Glazer, 22nd International Conference on
Learning, Madrid SP, July 2015
“A technology-rich kinesthetic approach for STEM teaching and learning” N. Glazer, E. Tratras Contis, and Y. Glazer, ATINER Conference, Athens
GR, July 2015
“FAM129B, a Novel Protein, suppresses the TNF α apoptotic pathway and Promotes the NF-ĸ B Survial Pathway in Cancer Cells by Interacting with
KEAP1” F. A. Hachem, S. Chen, H. G. Evans, D. R. Evans, ASBMB Annual Meeting, Boston, MA
“Simultaneous Detection of Two UV-Induced DNA Damages Using Capillary Electrophoresis and Quantum Dots” J. Guthrie, Pittcon, New Orleans,
LA, March 2015
“Selection of Aptamers using Quantum-Dot-Assisted Capillary Electrophoresis SELEX” M. Martin and J. Guthrie, Pittcon, New Orleans, LA, March
2015
“Selection of Aptamers using Quantum-Dot-Assisted Capillary Electrophoresis SELEX” J. Guthrie and M. Martin, Spectr’Atom and 60 th ICASS,
Halifax NS, Canada, May 2015 (invited)
“Antimicrobial and Hemolytic Activity of Cysteine-Deleted Tachyplesin (CDT) Analogues in the Pursuit of Therapeutic Selectivity” D. Heyl, Y.
Park, J. Garvey, R. Newman, Y. Vladaj, American Peptide Symposium, Orlando, FL, June 2015
“Engaging Pre-Service STEM Teachers with Chemistry Modeling: A Workshop” C. Dershimer, M. Olson, L. Kolopajlo, B. Kubitskey, MSTA 61st
Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, MI, February 2015
“Modeling Heating Curves and Phase Changes” L. Kolopajlo, MSTA 61st Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, MI, February 2015
“Outreach: CSI and Digital Divas Workshops” L. Kolopajlo, T. Brewer, M. Connolly, The 2015 CSIE Symposium, Chemistry Department, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, June 2015
“Optical Phase-Shife Dynamics in Surface-Modified Transparent Polymers” D. Snyder, University of Michigan-Dearborn Chemistry Seminar
“Optical Phase Shift Dynamics in Transparent Polymers: Application of Wavefront Detectors in Chemical Analysis and Sensor Design” D. Snyder,
4th Annual World Congress on Advanced Materials, Chongqing, China, May 2015 (invited)
Publications
“Spider Man Cave: The Desecration of the Burnt Bluff Cultural Site and its Implications for Future Heritage Management” A. K. Ruuska, R. A. Armitage,
Wisconsin Archaeologist 96(1), 27-44, 2015.
“Sequencing analytical methods for small sample dating and dye identification of textile fibers: application to a fragment from Seip Mound Group,
Ohio” K. Jakes and R. A. Armitage, Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology. Published online 24 July 2015, DOI:10.1179/2327427115Y.0000000009.
“Direct Analysis in Real Time-Mass Spectroscopy for Identification of Red Dye Colorants in Paracas Necropolis Textiles” R. A. Armitage, K. Jakes, and
C. Day, Science and Technology in Archaeological Research, 1(2), STAR2015112054892315Y.000000000.
“Identification of Anthraquinone Dye Colorants in Red Fibers from an Ohio Hopewell Burial Mound by Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry”
R. A. Armitage, C. Day and K. Jakes, Science and Technology in Archaeological Research, 1(1), STAR2015112054892315Y.000000001
“Gas Chromatography” Armitage, R. A. In Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology, Gilbert, A. S., Ed. Springer: Netherlands, 2016.
“Advancing Science, Engaging STEM Learners” E. Tratras Contis, The International Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Learning, 20 (4),
81-89, 2014.
“Integrating Research and Education to Develop a Scientific Inquiry Template in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory” H. G. Evans and D. L.
Heyl, Journal of Chemical Education, accepted 2016.
“Intersubunit Communication in the Dihydroorotase – Aspartate Transcarbamoylase Complex of Aquifex aeolicus” H. G. Evans, R. Fernando, A.
Vaishnav, M. Kotichukkala, D. Heyl-Clegg, F. Hachem, J. S. Brunzelle, B. F. P. Edwards, D. R. Evans, Protein Science, 23(1):100-9, 2015. doi:
10.1002/pro.2396
“Simultaneous detection of ultraviolet B-induced DNA damage using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence”, J.W. Guthrie, R.T.
Limmer, E.A. Brooks, C.C. Wisnewski, N.D. Loggins-Davis, A. Bouzid, Anal. Chim. Acta, 853:676–681, 2014.
“Humanin Peptide Binds to Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 3 (IGFBP3) and regulates its interaction with importin-β” E. Njomen, H. G.
Evans, S. H. Gedara, D. L. Heyl, Peptide and Protein Letters, 22 (10), in press 2015.
“Antimicrobial and Hemolytic Activity of Cysteine-Deleted Tachyplesin (CDT) Analogues in
the Pursuit of Therapeutic Selectivity” D. Heyl, Y. Park, J. Garvey, R. Newman, Yllka Vladaj, In
Proceedings of the 24th American Peptide Symposium), Michal Lebl, Ved Srivastava, Andrei
Yudin, eds., 66-68, 2015.
US Patent 9,096,501 – “Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Inhibitors and Methods of Use
Thereof to Modulate Lipid Metabolism” Lawrence D. A., Strickland, D., Cale J., Su E. J., Emal
C. D., Warnock M. – filed 5/21/2014; published 11/20/2014; granted 8/4/2015.
10
EMU DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY | SPRING 2016
Student Award Winners, 2015
UNDERGRADUATE
Mordechai Sadowsky, The Peet-Mayor Endowed Chemistry Award
Philip Ewing, ACS Huron Valley Section Undergraduate Award
Ahmed Oudeif, Maurice Decoster Endowed Chemistry Scholarship
Philip Klick, Andrew Durden, Sohail Rana, Collins’ Endowed Scholarships in Chemistry
Brandie Yambrosic, James G. and LeAnn K. Emal Scholarship in Chemistry
Jasmine Winzeler, Grace Simmons Gregory Scholarship
Sohail Rana, Sandra J. Lobbestael Chemistry Endowed Scholarship
Andrew Durden, Elva Mae Nicholson Organic Chemistry Endowed Scholarship
Toya Rodriguez, John Sullivan Endowed Scholarship
Diamond Jones, Hypercube Scholar Award
Howard Loller, Biochemistry Achievement Award
Andre Tackett, ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award
Cody Rump, CRC Press Chemistry Achievement Award
Faezeh Azizi, Farzaneh Azizi, Cody Rump, Perry S. Brundage Scholarships
Michelle David, Donald B. Phillips Memorial Endowed Scholarship
GRADUATE
Joshua Hunt, David A. Berry Excellence in Organic/Biochemistry Endowed Scholarship
Christopher Haskin, Martin and Antoinette Gorski Endowed Scholarship
Jennifer Corker, Ronald M. Scott Memorial Scholarship
Michael Martin, James R. Beach Chemistry Endowment
Paul Pineau, EMU Chemistry Department Teaching Assistant Award
Michael Martin, EMU Chemistry Department Research Award
Sarah Burke, ACS Huron Valley Section EMU Outstanding Graduate Student Award
11