UCLA

Midstream Presentation: Evan Maltz
2020-10-27 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Evan Maltz
Wollman Group
“Phenotypic Consequences of Gene Expression Variability”

Teaching opportunities after grad school in primarily undergraduate institutions
2020-10-27 12:00
Panelist:
Prof. Jennifer Casey
Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California, Los Angeles
&
Prof. Jay Foley
Dept. of Chemistry
William Paterson University
&
Prof. Jacob Olshansky
Dept. of Chemistry
Amherst College

Chem 228: Prof. Christine Isborn
2020-10-26 16:00
“Simulating linear and nonlinear optical spectra for chromophores in the condensed phase”

Chem 268: Guillaume Chanfreau and Cathy Clarke
2020-10-23 15:30

Boehringer-Ingelheim Seminar: Selective Catalytic Functionalization of C-H Bonds
2020-10-22 16:00
Abstract:The selective introduction of functional groups at the positions of typically unreactive C-H bonds has been a longstanding challenge in catalysis. To this end, our group has developed practical methods for the catalytic functionalization of C-H bonds with main group reagents.(1-4) These studies have led us to a general strategy of installing a single transient functional group to form a range of products from one C-H bond functionalization reaction. This research has led us to seek next-generation catalysts for the functionalization of C-H in complex molecules, new classes of reactions for functionalization of these bonds, and new strategies, such as the construction of artificial metallenzymes to control the site at which such reactions occur.
This lecture will present recent directions of research in our group toward discovering selective reactions of both small and complex molecules with large and small catalysts. The design and selection, as well as the intimate mechanism, of catalysts and catalytic reactions for selective functionalization processeswill be presented.

Boehringer-Ingelheim Seminar: New Reactions from the Process Development of a BACE-1 Inhibitor
2020-10-22 14:00
Abstract: The process development of a BACE-1 inhibitor is described. In order to address major safety and scalability limitations in the Discovery synthesis, two novel reactions were developed. The discovery, development, and scale-up of these reactions will be described. Several additional methodologies which emerged during process research will also be presented.

Chem 218 Student Exit Seminar: Borna Zandkarimi
2020-10-22 12:00
“Rewriting the Rules of Heterogeneous Catalysis for Supported Subnanometer Metal Cluster Catalysts”
Advisor: Professor Anastassia Alexandrova

Chem 278: Dr. Julia Stauber
2020-10-21 16:30
“An Organometallic Approach to the Assembly of Atomically Precise Nanomaterials”
Abstract: There is significant interest in the ability to build atomically precise nanocluster molecules with complex three-dimensional structures resembling the intricate molecular architectures found in natural systems. We have developed a platform to access a class of robust, well-defined, three-dimensional hybrid nanomolecules with high tunability using air-stable, organometallic gold(III) dodecaborate clusters. These clusters serve as templates for further diversification with a wide array of thiol-containing substrates including alkanes, arenes, alcohols, amines, peptides, and sugar molecules. The conjugation reactions proceed rapidly with high chemoselectivity to produce a library of nanocluster assemblies that exhibit high structural stability under biologically relevant conditions due to their full covalency. Glycosylated nanomolecules displayed increased binding affinity to target proteins when compared with the binding of the free sugar molecules, showcasing how this strategy allows for the generation of precise multivalency for molecular recognition.

Midstream Presentation: Zachary Edward Hemminger
2020-10-20 16:00
Zachary Edward Hemminger
Wollman Group
“Scaling up Spatial Transcriptomics using dredFISH”

NSF Center for Integrated Catalysis Webinar Series
2020-10-20 13:00
The NSF Center for Integrated Catalysis is delighted to announce that it will be hosting a monthly webinar series. The second day of this series will be held on Tuesday, October 20th at 1:00 PM. We are pleased to invite all students, postdocs, faculty, and staff.

Chem 228: Prof. Jay Foley
2020-10-19 16:00
“Refractions in the plastic pulse: Controlling light and heat with hybrid nanostructures”

Chem 268: David Eisenberg
2020-10-16 15:30

Exploring Fluoro: Five years of the Sletten Group
2020-10-15 14:00
Abstract: The Sletten Group works in three different areas which all encompass “fluoro” to control and detect chemistries in living systems. These include 1) fluorous nanoemulsions as versatile scaffolds for drug delivery, 2) fluoroarenes as chemical reporter groups for non-covalent bioorthogonal chemistry, and 3) fluorophores for the shortwave infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum for real-time multiplexed imaging. This talk will briefly highlight recent advances in fluorous nanoemulsions and fluoroarene chemical reporters before focusing on the development of bright fluorophore for the near and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, which enable high-resolution, real-time, multicolor imaging in mice.

Chem 218 Student Exit Seminar: Chuanzhen Zhao
2020-10-15 12:00
“Implantable and Wearable Bioelectronics: Eavesdropping on Chemical Signaling”
Advisors: Prof. Paul Weiss and Prof. Anne Andrews

Chem 278: Prof. Hailiang Wang
2020-10-14 16:30
“Heterogenized Molecular Catalyst Materials for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Conversion”
Abstract: Sustainable energy utilization and carbon emission reduction are critical challenges for the world. Solving these challenges requires precise control of many important chemical reactions with sluggish kinetics and myriad possible reaction pathways and associated products. There is a critical need for selective, active, durable and low-cost catalysts. This talk presents our research efforts aimed at bridging the gap between homogenous catalysis and heterogeneous catalysis to realize materials with new or improved electrocatalytic properties for the carbon dioxide reduction reactions. We have developed heterogenized metal-complex electrocatalysts allowing for mechanism-based optimization at the molecular level. We have discovered interesting phenomena including ligand-mediated electron transfer, beyond two-electron reduction via a domino process, and reversible restructuring under reaction conditions. We have also designed reactors to enhance electrochemical performance, study surface/interface phenomena, and perform thermodynamically challenging reactions.

Chem 228: Prof. Dr. Frank Wuerthner
2020-10-12 09:00
“Supramolecular Photosystems with Precise Spatial Organization of Dyes”

Chem 268: Jose Rodriguez
2020-10-09 15:30

Midstream Presentation: Jiahui Lu
2020-10-06 16:00
Jiahui Lu
Eisenberg Group
“CryoEM structure of the LCD of hnRNPA2 and its conversion to pathogenic amyloid”

228 Seminar: Prof. Justin Caram
2020-10-05 16:00
“On circumventing the limits of organic chromophore photophysics”

Introduction of Biochemistry Faculty to First Year Biochemistry Graduate Students
2020-10-02 15:30

Spatiotemporal Control of Chemistry and Biology Enabled by Electrochemistry and Nanomaterials
2020-09-30 16:00
Abstract: Electrochemical nanomaterial has witnessed its extensive applications in catalysis, energy storage, and conversion. So what are the new frontiers for electrochemistry and nanomaterials? Can we discover new synergies of electrochemical nanomaterials with research disciplines that were not often considered before? Because electrochemical nanomaterials spatiotemporally transform chemical species and control their concentration profiles at a microscopic scale, we envision electrochemistry at nanoscale a viable tool to transduce electronic signals into non-equilibrium systems with spatiotemporal gradients of free energy µ(t,r) and entropy S(t,r). This talk will offer the research demonstrated so far in the Liu group that includes the spatiotemporal control in chemical catalysis and microbiology, given the ubiquity of non-equilibrium systems in chemistry and biology.

First-year and Transfer Undergraduate Student Welcome
2020-09-30 10:00
The UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry invites all incoming first-years and transfer students to our New Undergraduate Student Welcome event on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 10:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. Students will have the opportunity to hear from faculty and current students on various topics including academics, undergraduate research, and student involvement. There will also be a Q&A session in the various Zoom panels.
The Zoom meeting details can be found below:
Meeting ID: 941 1584 1966
Passcode: [REDACTED]
https://ucla.zoom.us/j/94115841966?pwd=[REDACTED]
We look forward to seeing you then!
Nick Baerg, Tim Mahlanza, and Sarah Eguchi Low
ugrad@chem.ucla.edu

Twists and turns along the path of reactivity-driven methods development
2020-09-29 14:00
Abstract:
Carbocations are important reactive intermediates that are invoked in many chemical transformations. These species are usually of the tricoordinated variety. Conversely, dicoordinated carbocations are rarely relevant in practical chemical processes due to their high energy and energetically challenging formation. In this talk I will discuss our recent efforts to utilize phenyl and vinyl carbocations in C–H functionalization reactions. We will describe how these high-energy dicoordinated carbocations can be generated under mild conditions and utilized in selective C–C bond forming reactions. Moreover, we will discuss our efforts to understand the mechanism of these reactions through computational chemistry, kinetics, electron microscopy, and isotopic labeling studies.

Inter-departmental Chemistry Symposium between UCLA and University of Michigan
2020-09-25 13:00
Everyone is invited to this Inter-departmental Chemistry Symposium between UCLA and University of Michigan (UMich) hosted by CBGSA

The symposium will feature two 15-minute talks from UCLA graduate students, and one 30-minute talk from a UMich graduate student.
• Stasik Popov (UCLA, Nelson Lab) – “C–C Bond Forming Reactions of Vinyl Carbocations Paired with Weakly Coordinating Anions”
• Kierstyn Anderson (UCLA, Spokoyny Lab) – “Elucidating the photophysical properties of halogenated anti-B18H22”
• Hannah Vonesh (UMich, Schindler Lab) – “Interrupted Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis of Cyclic, Aliphatic Ketones”
Click here to register:http://tiny.cc/UMICH-UCLA-symposium

See flyer linked below for full abstracts. Join us again on October 9, 2020 at 1 p.m. PST for another joint symposium between UCLA and UMich!
Questions? Contact CBGSA at cbgsaucla@gmail.com.

NSF Center for Integrated Catalysis Webinar Series
2020-09-22 13:00
The NSF Center for Integrated Catalysis is delighted to announce that it will be hosting a monthly webinar series. The first day of this series will be held on Tuesday, September 22 at 1:00 PM. We are pleased to invite all students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Register here to receive Zoom details!

2020 Summer Seminar Series: Amateur Hour! Meet BMSB first-years
2020-09-18 15:30
“Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of the HECT E3 Ubiquitin Ligase HERC2 C-lobe” by Kayla Rich (Clark University –Spratt Lab)
and
“Protein Crystallography and X-ray Diffraction to determine the structure of Antibody Fab fragments” by Connor Short (UCLA –Rodriguez Lab)
and
“Myosin V and Spire coordinate to regulate actin dynamics in the Drosophilaoocyte” by Joseph Ong (UCLA –Quinlan Lab)

2020 Summer Seminar Series: Research Spotlight Edition
2020-09-11 15:30
“Unraveling the complexity of Coenzyme Q Biosynthesis and Trafficking” by Michael Guile (C. Clarke lab)
and
“CryoEM structure of amyloid disaggregant EGCG bound to Alzheimer’s brain-derived fibrils of tau” by Paul Seidler, PhD (Eisenberg lab)
and
“Structure of the Fiber Core of Orb2A, A Functional Amyloid, Revealed by Micro-electron Diffraction” by Jeanette Bowler (Eisenberg lab)
and
“Microbial proteomics: Relating metabolism and protein modification” by Janine Fu (Loo lab)

Dissertation Seminar: Scott McConnell
2020-09-04 13:00

Chem 278 Kaner Research Group Seminar
2020-07-15 16:30
Stephanie Aguilar, PhD candidate
“Perfluorophenylazide Photochemistry for Modification of Materials”

2020 Virtual Graduation Celebration - Bachelor's of Science Degree Candidates
2020-06-13 14:00
The Departmental 2020 Virtual Graduation Celebration for our 299 bachelor’s of science degree candidates can be viewed here no later than Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 2:00 pm Pacific Time. The virtual celebration will not be “live,” so the content can be accessed at anytime.
https://virtualgrad.marchingorder.com/ucla/x
The College of Letters & Sciences Live Virtual Commencement
Additionally, the College of Letters & Sciences will be hosting a live virtual event on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 3:00PM Pacific Time (Info Here).
As a means to properly honor our students at a Departmental Commencement Ceremony, we have elected to offer a full in-person graduation ceremony for our students at a date to be determined.
Our hope is that the ceremony will take place in the 2020 calendar year if the current pandemic allows. However, attendance at our 2021 Departmental Commencement Ceremony will also be an option available to our students.
When possible, we will provide further details regarding the in-person celebration.
