Resonance Issue 13 | Autumn 2020
The University of Sheffield’s Chemistry News Team SCIENTIFIC ANNIVERSARIES IN 2020
CRISPR - THE CHEMISTRY OF GENE EDITING
INTERVIEWING ALUMNI SIR RICHARD. J. ROBERTS
Resonance
The University of Sheffield’s Chemistry News Team Editor Courtney Thompson Design Editor Josh Nicks and Courtney Thompson
Resonance
Resonance is a biannual newsletter produced by chemistry students at the University of Sheffield. It aims to provide insights into unheard stories from the department and to engage its readers with issues in the wider scientific world.
Editorial Contributing Authors Ellen Wilson Joe Veryard Freya Cleasby Josh Nicks Courtney Thompson Amelia Wood Kirsty Smitten
Copy Editors Courtney Thompson Josh Nicks Dr Jonathan A. Foster Prof Anthony J. H. M. Meijer
Email chem-news@sheffield.ac.uk
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his is my second issue of Resonance as editor and once again it has been a pleasure to put together for your enjoyment! As I am sure you are all fully aware, this year hasn’t exactly been the smoothest of rides, and I feel that it is quite important that we all take a little time out for ourselves to focus on our mental wellbeing. For that very reason I decided to make this issue a ‘Celebration of Success’ with a strong focus on positivity. Hopefully taking a moment to read this issue with a cuppa and a biscuit could be a little light relief from all the chaos happening around us. 2020 has been one for the history books in many regards, but it also marks the anniversaries of a number of ground-breaking scientific discoveries and events. Freya Cleasby has put together a brilliant article detailing many of them, which is definitely worth a read! On a similar note this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry winners have broken the mould, with their work in genome discovery. The two female recipients of the prize, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, have most definitely cemented themselves in history, what great role models for women in science! Give Josh Nicks’ article a read to find out more about their work. I would like to take a moment to thank all of the other authors who contributed to this issue. Ellen Wilson for her interesting insight into one of the biggest sporting scandals globally. Joe Veryard for his cracking article on catalytic chemistry vs air pollution. And finally Amelia Wood and Kirsty Smitten for all their input into their respective articles! So get your feet up, get the kettle on, grab a jaffa cake (or ten) and take a minute to enjoy a ‘Celebration of Success’. Until next time,
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Contents
On the Cover
5 Scientific Anniversaries in 2020 2020 isn’t all doom and gloom. It actually marks the anniversaries of many ground-breaking scientific events!
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In This Issue Editorial The Wrong Way to Success: The Chemistry of a Sporting Scandal Catalytic Poetry: ‘In Praise of Air’
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Crispr - The Chemistry of Gene Editing
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PhD Student to Entrepreneur
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Introducing the CPGS Committee
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Interviewing Alumni: Sir Richard. J. Roberts
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Departmental News
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Departmental News
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ChemSoc 2020 - Meet the Committee
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Recognising Those Overlooked
An article focused on the 2020 Nobel Prize winning Crispr gene-editing and the amazing scientists behind it.
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Scientific Anniversaries in 2020
Chemistry Crossword
Crispr - The Chemistry of Gene Editing
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17 Back
Check Us Out @resonancenews @SheffieldChem
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@sheffield.chem The University of Sheffield University of Sheffield Chemistry Alumni @Resonance_Sheff
Interviewing Alumni An interview with the Nobel Prize winning Sir Richard. J. Roberts, one of the Chemistry department’s most prestigous alumni.
chem-news@sheffield.ac.uk www http://bit.ly/2weV7M1
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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Insight
Diamonds in the Rough By Ellen Wilson By Tom Neal
A
fter a disappointing 6th place in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Russia made an incredible comeback to top the medal table as the host nation in 2014. It was later uncovered that a third of these medals were awarded to athletes whose names appeared in an elaborate governmentcontrolled doping plan. Under the cover of darkness urine samples were passed through a hole in the wall, “tamper proof ” seals removed and replaced unnoticed, and dirty specimens exchanged for clean substitutes. But what were they hiding?
Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, Director of the Russian Antidoping Agency at Sochi Winter Olympics. Source – The New York Times
The director of the Russian antidoping laboratory at the time, Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, has since disclosed the extent of the elaborate project, which also fuelled many of the top Russian athletes at the London Olympic Games. He admits to having experimented on himself when putting his PhD in analytical chemistry to use
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by developing a winning cocktail of banned drugs. Three anabolic steroids were the key component in this rulebreaking formulation – Metenolone, Trenbolone and Oxandrolone – delivered in whiskey or Vermouth to speed up absorption. These are artificial variants of the male hormone testosterone that produce a muscle building (anabolic) and male pubertystyle (androgenic) effect on the body. Consequently, the window in which the athletes could put on their best performance was extended by an increased recovery rate, as protein and red blood cell production were boosted. Modifications to testosterone are required to extend the relatively short half-life of the hormone, which is easily broken down by the liver. Anabolic steroids work by binding to specific receptor molecules in muscle cells, which consequently activate the replication of DNA to make more proteins.
Anabolic Steroids administered to Russian athletes under the government controlled doping scheme. 1. https://bit.ly/31rVLnx 2. https://nyti.ms/37wrCqQ 3. https://bit.ly/35n7Qvd 4. https://bit.ly/35gwCgs
Maximum gains have been seen where the steroids are combined with resistance training, as this is thought to produce more receptor sites for the steroids to bind to. The body automatically attempts to compensate for the unexpected increase in testosterone-like hormones by decreasing its natural production. Thus, when users come off the treatment they often struggle to maintain their muscle gains, and many actually see a loss. Dr Rodchenkov fled to Los Angeles after the doping scandal was uncovered, fearing that the Russian authorities would want him silenced. There, he became advisor to Ben Fogel in the development of his Academy Award-winning film “Icarus” that documents this incredibly elaborate – and highly successful – sporting scandal.
Research Interview
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ir pollution is a growing problem and has a negative impact on our environment. Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause skin irritation, and asthma attacks, it can also lead, in more extreme cases, to cardiovascular disease. As a result, cities are developing novel ways of tackling this problem head-on. One of these cities is Sheffield, whose air has been above the legal limit of nitrogen dioxide allowed since January 2010. Because of this, 500 deaths per year are associated with the air pollution in Sheffield. The council decided to team up with The University Of Sheffield in 2014 to help find a solution. With the help of Prof. Tony Ryan from the Department of Chemistry, a 10 m by 20 m poster coated in photocatalytic nanoparticles of titanium dioxide was manufactured. This was displayed on the Alfred Denny building between 2014-2017 facing the concourse viaduct. Its surface incorporated a poem, In Praise Of Air written especially for the project by the, now, poet laureate, Prof. Simon Armitage from the School of English. Over the course of 4 years the poem removed over two tonnes of air pollution. Titanium dioxide is a widely used photocatalyst due to its high photocatalytic activity, stability, low cost, non-corrosivity, non-toxicity, and high availability. It was used in this project to convert nitrous oxides, NOx, and volatile organic compounds, VOCs, from harmful air pollutants to harmless alternatives. When TiO2 particles are exposed to light of sufficient energy, a valence electron is promoted to a higher energy state,
‘In Praise of Air’ in situ on the Alfred Denny Building in 2014.
leaving a positively charged “hole”, h+ on the Ti atom. Atmospheric oxygen, O2 is reduced by the excited electron to form a superoxide anion, •O2- and water in the air is oxidised by the “hole” to form hydroxide radicals, • OH. Nitrous oxides are oxidised by these molecules to a harmless soluble nitrate, whereas VOCs are oxidised to harmless fatty acids which are all washed away.
NO2 + •OH → NO3- + h+
enabling more pollution-depleting reactions to occur at once. The poster was situated facing the sun during the day and street lighting during the night. As the photocatalysis requires light to oxidise the pollutants, the poster was able to remove pollution 24 hours a day. Furthermore, as it faced over the concourse it was exposed to a higher amount of car exhaust fumes as they drove over the busy road. The poem was able to remove the pollution of 20 cars per day throughout the 4 years it was on display. Although now the poem is no longer on display and was sold at a charity auction in 2017, the science behind it remains.
The success was because of a number of factors. The nano-size of the particles meant a greater surface area
1. https://catalyticpoetry.org/ 2. J.S. Dalton et al, 2002, Environmental Pollution, 120, 115–422.
O2 + e- → •O2OH + h+ → •OH
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The team (left to right): Simon Armitage, Joanna Gavins, Prof Tony Ryan & David Walker.
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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Scientific Anniv
Feature
Florence Nightingale’s 200th Birthday
John Graunt’s 400th Birthday
Graunt was recognized as the pioneer of drawing scientific conclusions from the analysis of statistical information; his work is considered a cornerstone in the foundation of the modern sciences of statistics and demography. Graunt’s work earned him election to the Royal Society, but the Great Fire of London in 1666 burned down his house, damaging his business and sending him straight into poverty.
I’m sure you all know the lady with the lamp, the most famous nurse of the 19th century. But did you also know she was a health and hygiene pioneer and expert in health statistics? While working in the Crimea, the horrifyingly unsanitary conditions led her to institute a cleanliness regimen that greatly reduced the death rate. She then became an expert in health statistics, and her methods influenced the development of epidemiology. Her presentation of statistical evidence for the benefits of health standards in graphical form, made her a pioneer of data visualiation and influenced policy makers to adopt her methods.
1620
1820
1895
1800
1220
Electromagnetism
In 1800 Volta invented the primitive battery. This started research into links between electricity and magnetism. Among the researchers was H. C. Oersted who long suspected that electricity and magnetism shared a deep unity. After noticing a current causing a nearby compass needle to move, he conducted experiments enabling the generation of a magnetic field outside a wire carrying an electric current. About a decade later Michael Faraday showed the opposite, that moving a magnet around a wire induces an electric current.
Roger Bacon’s 800th Birthday
Bacon was one of the top natural philosophers of his day; he studied at Oxford and lectured at the University of Paris. Later Bacon became a Franciscan monk, but often got in trouble for breaking the order’s rules. Bacon was among the first advocates in this era for the importance of experiment in investigating nature. He also understood the importance of using math when explaining natural phenomena.
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Discovery of X-rays
When Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895, they were almost immediately put to use in medical practice. Later experiments on X-rays showed that electromagnetic “waves” sometimes behave as particles and eventually gave the images that led to determing the structure of DNA.
ersaries in 2020
Feature
By Freya Cleasby
The Great Debate
On April 26, 1920, astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis faced off at the Smithsonian. The two argued whether the Milky Way galaxy, constituted the whole universe or if the Milky Way was in fact one of many galaxies. The debate winner was only announced in 1924, when Edwin Hubble showed that spiral-shaped nebulae visible through telescopes were in fact distant island galaxies, proving Curtis right.
Invention of the Atomic Bomb
When an atom of radioactive material splits into lighter atoms, there is a sudden, powerful, release of energy. This is called nuclear fission. Atomic bombs are weapons that get their energy from fission reactions. In 1942 scientists and military officials were brought together to work on the Manhattan Project, pioneering nuclear research. Much of the work was under the direction of the famous theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. On July 16, 1945, in a remote desert in New Mexico, the first atomic bomb was successfully detonated.
1920
2020
1945
1995
1932
Rosalind Franklin’s 100th Birthday
It was at King’s College London that Franklin, under the supervision of Maurice Wilkins, took up DNA studies and produced exceptional X-ray images. She came close to determining DNA’s double-helix structure, but didn’t get it quite right. James Watson was shown one of her X-ray images by Wilkins in early 1953, enabling Watson and Francis Crick to deduce the correct DNA architecture. She sadly died before the Nobel Prize was awarded to Watson and Crick. Wilkins also shared the prize, but there is no doubt that had she still been alive, Franklin would have deserved it more than he did.
Discovery of the neutron
After the discovery of the atomic nucleus, in 1911, scientists spent years trying to understand how the nucleus was put together. Rutherford deduced that there was a nuclear particle carrying positive charge. He named it the proton. However, the number of protons needed for the atom’ mass did not balance with the amount of orbiting electrons. Years later Rutherford surmised that there was another neutral particle in the nucleus that he called the neutron. In 1932, experiments by the British physicist James Chadwick confirmed the existence of the neutron, surprising many physicists who had not believed Rutherford.
The Bose-Einstein Condensate
Seven decades after it’s prediction, physicists produced a new weird wavy form of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate. In 1924, Einstein mashed up concepts from two papers by de Broglie and Bose and ended up envisioning wavy “boson” atoms that would merge into a kind of cloud of unified matter. Making a Bose-Einstein condensate cloud requires special supercooled conditions, and finally in 1995 physicists were able to overcome technical limitations and prove Einstein right! Titanium ore in its raw form
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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Feature
Crispr - The Chemistry of Gene-Editing By Josh Nicks
Or Chipr, if you’re based in the US...
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he 2020 Nobel prize in chemistry has been awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, for their discovery of the Crispr-Cas9 genome editing technique. In short, this technique allows scientists to reprogram a living organisms genetic code. Its relative ease of use and low cost compared to other editing techniques have seen the field grow exponentially. The potential impacts of Crispr span almost every aspect of our lives, from pharmaceuticals and therapeutics, to agriculture and nutrition. However alongside Crispr’s huge potential, lies a fair amount of controversy. This article examines Charpentier and Doudna’s pioneering research, the way it works, and how it could, and by all means already has managed to, change our lives.
How does it work?
Crispr is actually an acronym that stands for “cluster regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”. This refers to discrete genetic sequences found in the genomes of bacteria. Every Crispr sequence becomes transcribed into RNA sequences, which target the DNA of a virus, as found by Charpentier. Doudna discovered that these sequences contain cas genes, which code for the cas enzymes that perform the DNA-cutting These enzymes and the guide-RNA work together to cut the viral DNA.
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Jennifer Doudna (left) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (right) are the first pair of women to share the Nobel chemistry prize . Charpentier and Doudna exploited this very system - by designing a guide RNA sequence that matches a genomic target sequence. The RNA sequence and Cas9 enzyme (hence the name, Crispr-Cas9), slice the DNA where targeted, allowing for immensely precise editing of the genome sequence. Much like other Nobel prizes, this work doesn’t seem to be free of controversy. As a fairly new technique, Crispr has not yet been perfected. Some research has demonstrated off-target cuts, in which the tool has sliced DNA at more than just the desired areas. Obviously this could have disastrous complications, and a remedy to this remains one of the main areas of Crispr research.
In fact, Doudna, Charpentier, and others have suggested a suspension on the editing of human germline cells, stating we need to know more about potential consequences. Despite this controversy, the dynamic potential of Crispr as a tool for engineering life is clear. So many issues could potentially be wiped away, if this technique is perfected. Scientists could correct the genetic errors that cause disease, eradicating issues such as Huntington’s and hypertrophic cardio-myopathy. Gene editing also extends to agricultural developments. It has already been used to increase the yield of tomato plants, by altering the genes
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that govern tomato size, shape, and branching architecture.
Doudna’s work is an everyday matter.
Crispr even has the potential to resurrect species. Harvard geneticist George Church has claimed he and his team are close to developing an embryo for an elephant-mammoth hybrid. Crispr’s strengths and potential are clear for all to see, and it is only a matter of time until Charpentier and
1. bit.ly/328yuYd 2. Futurism.com/crispr-geneticengineering-change-world
Editing the branching structure genes of tomato plants can dramatically increase yields.
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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Research
By Kirsty Smitten
MetalloBio’s Future Plans
Antimicrobial resistance is already responsible for 700,000 annual fatalities globally. By 2050 this figure is expected to rise to 10 million costing the economy £66 trillion. MetalloBio are actively trying to reduce these predicted deaths through the synthesis and development of two commercially promising antimicrobial compounds.
Professor Jim Thomas (left) and his PhD student Kirsty Smitten (right)
K
irsty Smitten and Professor Jim Thomas secured funding from Innovate UK to participate in the ‘Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research” ICURe programme. The programme is a highly competitive scheme that selects research teams with the most promising commercialisation technology. The funding allows the team to explore the market potential of their technology through discussions with potential partners, customers and collaborators. As part of the scheme Kirsty has attended numerous trade shows and conferences such as the World Antimicrobial Resistance Congress and BIO-Europe 2020. The team, MetalloBio, have produced two antimicrobial compounds with activities as high as commercial antibiotics. this activity is retained in multi-drug resistant strains identified by the World Health Organisation as Priority 1: Critical for discovering new antibiotics. During the ICURe programme MetalloBio have discovered three different routes to market for their technology: a systemic antimicrobial, a coating on medical devices or an additive within paints or plastics.
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They have spoken to a number of potential partners, including large pharmaceutical companies. Some of these have provided matched funding and signed NDAs to explore routes to develop the technology. This includes companies such as Heraeus, Merck and the AMR Centre at Alderley Park. Upon completion of the programme in January, Kirsty will partake in the options roundabout pitch. At the end of the pitch a number of teams are selected to progress onto the next ICURe programme, which involves developing a business plan for spinning out or licensing out the technology. At the end of this programme teams are invited to pitch for up to £300,000 seed funding from Innovate UK. Given the current success of the ICURe programme and the nature of partnering conversations it is looking likely the team will spinout to form MetalloBio in the very near future.
The mononuclear complex is a broad spectrum antimicrobial that interferes with bacterial DNA processing. The dinuclear complex targets Gram-negative bacteria with a focus on urinary tract infections and nosocomial infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. Both complexes have a modular synthesis and a novel structure resulting in the capability to generate a new class of antimicrobial compounds. This is particularly important as a new class of antimicrobial compounds haven’t reached the clinic in over 30-years. Currently the compounds are in the pre-clinical stage with efficacy being demonstrated in in-vitro, ex-vivo and in-vivo models. The team are currently seeking funding and partnership to move onto the next phases of development.
QR Code - direct to MetalloBio Website for futher information.
News
INTRODUCING THE CPGS COMMITTEE CPGS - SheffChemPostGradSociety Representing PGR students in the Department of Chemistry
James Shipp Research Rep. He/Him
Samuel Armistead Chair He/Him
Josh Nicks Sectretary He/Him
Amelia Wood Inclusions + CS Rep. She/Her
Charlotte Kiker Welfare Rep. She/Her
Reuben Ouanounou Treasurer He/Him
Ellen Wilson Welfare Rep. She/Her
Samantha Peralta International Rep. She/Her
Kittie Royle Events and Social Rep. She/Her
Jonny Gregg CRS Rep. He/Him Alice Rhind-Tutt Events + External Engagement She/Her
Follow us on... Instagram - @SheffChemPGRSoc Twitter - @SheffChemPGRSoc Facebook - @SheffChemPGRSoc
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Interview
Interviewing Alumni: T
his article will hopfully be the first in a series of articles aimed at inspiring and motivating the next generation of groundbreaking scientists. Each instalment will focus on a University of Sheffield’s ‘noteable’ alumnus, detailing their some of their experiences during their time spent at the university, how they got into their chosen fields and any advice they would pass on to the next generation of scientists. This issue debuts an interview with Sir Richard. J. Roberts. One of the chemistry department’s most prized alumni, he has a whole building named after him!
Sir Richard. J. Roberts was born in 1943 in Derby. His interest in chemistry is said to have been first ignited at a young age when he was gifted a chemistry set.
Southampton turned me down, but Sheffield didn’t. Are there any notable memories from your time at The University of Sheffield?
Sir Richard attended the University of Sheffield, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1965. He remained in Sheffield to complete his Ph.D in 1969. His thesis was focused on the phytochemical studies of neoflavonoids and isoflavonoids. In 1993 Sir Richard shared the Nobel Proze in Physiology or Medicine with his collegue, an American biochemist named Phillip Allen Sharp. The prize was awarded for their independent work on the discovery of split genes. This discovery allowed for the transformation of the models used to understand how proteins are synthesised from genes, acting as a gate way to the prediction of new genetic processes and gene splicing. Ground-breaking advancements in his field! I had the honour of conducting a short interview with Sir Richard, getting an insight into what inspired him and how he time in Sheffield shaped his scientific career.
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Richard Roberts building in 2005 when it was first built (top) vs more recent times in 2019 (bottom).
What inspired you to persue science in further education and why did you choose to study at the Univeristy of Sheffield? I discovered science when my parents bought me a chemistry set as a Christmas present when I was about 11. Prior to that I thought I would become a detective. When it came time to go to University, Sheffield and Southampton had the best chemistry departments, so I applied to both.
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Too many to document. I remember seeing the first televised Beatles concert on a small TV in the student center. Some friends and I took a memorable driving/camping trip to Greece in a very small Post Office van that had been equipped with a fairly uncomfortable back seat from a bus. We ended up spending a week on a beach in Mykonos. I discovered physics was actually OK if it was taught properly. I met a Japanese postdoc, Kazu Kurosawa, who taught me more about experimental chemistry than anyone I had ever met. He also taught me to play Go and Shogi (Japanese chess). How did your time spent here in Sheffield help you on your journey to where you are now? One big factor was Kazu, who was such a good teacher that I finished everything I needed for my Ph.D. in one year and had two years to go
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Sir Richard. J. Roberts exploring. I spent a lot of time in the library and discovered a book called “The thread of life” by John Kendrew describing the origins of molecular biology. That set me on course to be a molecular biologist, so it had a huge impact.
Sir Richard speaking in 2018, about a Nobel Laureate campaign supporting GMOs.
‘The Thread of Life’ by John Kendrew - an inspiration to Sir Richard.
Would you be able to give us a brief insight into what it is you do now?
Bioinformatics and molecular biology. My research focusses on bacterial enzymes that methylate DNA. I also mobilize Nobel Laureates to support good causes that benefit humanity – like the present campaign to support GMOs, see QR link below for further details, and fight science misinformation. Do you have any advice for young people who might be beginning their journey in the world of science? Find your passion and make a career
of it. That way you can make your hobby into your job and so never really have to work. It is all fun. Do you have any further comments that you would like to give? Some of this you can find in my autobiography on the Nobel web site, see QR link below for further detials. If you have other specific questions, I will do my best to answer them. 1. https://bit.ly/37Nv6FF 2. https://bit.ly/3kwlJh7
If you want to find out more then please find below QR links to Sir Richard present campaign supporting GMOs and his new autobiography on the Nobel website.
Campaign Supporting GMOs
Sir Richard’s New Autobiography
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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News
News from the
Sustainable PPE: COVID 19 A group of artists and scientists has teamed up with the UNHCR and Syrian refugees to develop new hand hygiene products and design and produce reusable masks, shields and gowns to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Jordan.
The collaboration with refugees living in Zaatari camp has developed personal protective equipment (PPE) using locally available, low-cost materials that can be repurposed after the pandemic, creating training and employment opportunities at a new mask production facility, while keeping people safe and reducing plastic waste.
versity and the University of Petra, has received £766,675 of government funding provided through UK Research and Innovation’s Newton/ Global Challenges Research Fund.
Polymer chemist, Professor Tony Ryan, Director of the Grantham Centre for
The project, The People’s PPE, led by academics at the University of Sheffield and London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London (UAL), with researchers from Al Albayt Uni-
Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield and Principle Investigator on the project, said: “This project is about empowering refugees in a moment of health crisis. I’ve spent years working with the people of Zaatari and learning from their incredible resourcefulness and creativity.”
Masks, shields and gowns are made from locally available, low-cost materials that can be recycled
Funding Net-Zero Carbon Future
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cientists from the University of Sheffield have been awarded funding to create new carbon-based materials that could improve light technologies including solar energy capture and medical sensors.
The funding, awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, will help researchers develop ‘Molecular Photonic Breadboards’, organic molecular materials that it is hoped will enable highly efficient capture and transport of light energy.
semiconductors absorbing sunlight and converting that sunlight into electricity. For organic materials to match the efficiency of silicon, scientists need to control the behaviour of excitons, formed when light is absorbed by molecules, much more effectively.
There has long been interest in using carbon molecular materials in these optoelectronic devices, because they can be produced in low-energy processes from abundant, inexpensive materials. However, a fundamental barrier has been poor control over the transport of light energy in these materials.
The University of Sheffield is leading a £7.25 million project which aims to solve this problem. If successful the project will drive down the cost and improve the performance of organic materials, transforming approaches to solar energy production and consumer electronics, and helping to meet the government’s target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Solar cells, part of a net-carbon future. Solar cells are powered by silicon
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News
Department Antibiotics vs Superbugs R esearchers at the University of Sheffield have developed a new compound that is able to kill both gram-positive and gram-negative antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria have different cell wall structures, but the new antibiotic compound is able to pass through the cell wall of both forms of bacteria and then bind to the DNA. The findings, published in Chemical Science, pave the way for developing new treatments for all kinds of antibiotic resistant bacteria, including the gram-positive MRSA and gram-negative E.Coli.
The team from the University of Sheffield has previously developed new compound leads that specifically target gram-negative bacteria, but this new compound is a broad spectrum antimicrobial which means it is just as effective in both types of bacteria.
Council’s (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL).
Gram-negative bacteria strains are particularly difficult to treat as their cell wall prevents drugs from getting into the microbe They can cause infections including pneumonia, urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections.
A new compound has killed antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as MRSA The team worked with colleagues at and E.Coli, during tests.
the Science and Technology Facilities
Sustainable Cement? ful for the environment, contributing heavily to the world’s CO2 emissions; or not stabilised at all which can lead to their failure. The team at Sheffield has found that by using naturally sourced alternatives to cement, such as locust bean gum, a vegetable gum extracted from the seeds of the carob tree, these structures can be better stabilised in a more sustainable way.
A tailings storage area Goro Nickel Mine, New Caledonia.
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team of scientists and engineers from the University of Sheffield has developed a new technology that opens the door to the stabilisation of huge earthwork structures such as tailing dams, using sustainable, naturally sourced materials to replace cement. Tailing dams are vast embankments u
sed to store mining byproducts, of which over 350 billion tonnes a year are produced globally. When these dams fail it has a catastrophic impact on the environment, causing landslides and loss of life. Currently the earthwork dams are stabilised using cement, which is harm-
They used samples of the earth from tailing dams to understand the composition and work out which additives, in the right combination, would be the best to replace cement in binding and stabilising the soil. The newly developed technology then allowed the team to rapidly screen and develop bespoke biopolymer/soil mixes up to 50 times faster than using current methods. 1.https://bit.ly/2Tuyqx9
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ChemSoc 2020 -
Insight
Chair, Ciaran Bach (he/him)
Inclusions Officer, (she/her)
4th Year MChem Chemistry
4th Year MChem Che
Men’s Football Captain, George Edge (he/him) 3rd Year BSc Chemistry Sheffield Favourite: “The ice-skating rink in Ice Sheffield is a good place to visit and quite cheap.”
Sheffield Favourite: “If for food then visit Cutl Island- they have loa pendent food vendors a
Treasurer, Andy Weaver (he/him) 3rd Year MChem Chemistry
Sheffield Favourite “There’s this guy that sold really nice cheese at the Christmas markets last year I’d recommend if he comes back this year.”
3rd Year Rep, (she/her)
3rd Year MChem
Women’s Football Captain and CPGS Representative , Amelia Wood (she/her) 2nd Year PhD Student
Sheffield Favourite: in Crookes Valley
A bit about me: “I am a keen triathlete and I enjoy cycling around Sheffield and into the Peak District.”
Social Secretary (she/her)
Secretary, Joe Veryard (he/him)
2nd Year BSc Che
3rd Year MChem Chemistry Sheffield Favourite “The ChemSoc women’s football team is super friendly (we welcome people of all abilities) and a great way to speak to people from different years.”
Sheffield Favourite: “The Peak district is a must, especially Stanage Edge and Ladybower Reservoir. On a sunny day I love having a swim in Crookes Valley Park, but Western Park and Endcliffe Park are also
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Sheffield Favourite vourite places to Nottingham hous pizzas and mowgl
Meet the Committee
BAME Officer, Evie Karkera (she/her)
Oleta Norvilaite mistry
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4th Year Rep, Melissa Townsend (she/her)
4th Year MChem Chemistry
4th Year MChem Chemistry
you want to go out ery Works in Kelham ds of amazing indeand bars in one place.”
Minty Warwick Chemistry
Sheffield Favourite: “The western park museum is great and has cool new exhibits all the time – and it’s free!” Sheffield Favourite: “one of the best things about Sheffield is all of the great parks, Crookes Valley is really lovely and is only a few minutes walk from the uni and the Botanical Gardens are a great place to chill a bit closer to student accommodation.”
3rd Year Rep, Verity Knight, (she/her) 3rd Year MChem Chemistry
Publicity Officer, Marcin Pokora (he/him)
: “I love taking a dip Park.”
4th Year MChem Chemistry
Sheffield Favourite: “Bole Hill in Crookes has some amazing sunsets and views of Sheffield”
y, Rachel Horner
2nd Year Rep, Abbie Rivett, (she/her)
mistry
e: “Some of my faeat include the e’s pies, proove’s i’s street food.”
3rd Year MChem Chemistry
A bit about me: “I am a Student Ambassador this work includes mainly working on various programmes to raise aspiration of Year 7-13 pupils from disadvantageous backgrounds.”
Sheffield Favourite: “my favourite pub is probably either the Cobden in Crookes it’s great for a good pint and some free chips!”
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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Crossword
Chemistry Crossword This crossword is designed to challenge even the most seasoned chemists. If you think you’ve completed it, take a picture and send it to chem-news@sheffield.ac.uk. We’ll announce you as the chemistry crossword winner in the next issue., if you are the first.
ACROSS
DOWN
3 I am the only radioactive noble gas. 7 I am the Lanthanide used to make super strong magnets. 8 I am a metalloid used in computerchips. 9 I am the metal that is solid at room temperature but melts in your hand. 11 My name is derived from the Greek for ‘foul smelling’. 12 I am a metal that is liquid at room temperature. 14 I was the first element to be named after a person. 16 I am the only metal transparent to x-rays. 17 I am the most electro-negative element in the periodic table. 18 I am known as the densest natural element and used in fountain pens. 19 I am sometimes known as “Inheritance Powder” or “Poisoner’s Poison”.
1 I was the first element to be made artificially. 2 I am the lightest metallic element and can float on water. 4 I was used as a laxative in the middle ages. 5 I am the most important constituent of haemoglobin. 6 I am sometimes the cause of a paralysing affliction known to divers as ‘the bends’. 10 I am an alkaline earth metal that burns with a brilliant white flame. 13 I am the most expensive metal in the periodic table. 14 I am the most conductive metal in the periodic table. 15 I am the third most abundant element and the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust.
17 Resonance Issue 13
|| Autumn 2020
Resonance
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ChemSoc Events Sustainabilty Lecture w/ Prof Tony Ryan 18 th Nov Presidential Lecture w/ Dr Tim Craggs 2nd Dec Guest Lecture w/ Dr George Weaver from Loughborough University 16th Dec All times and platforms will be released nearer the time Keep an eye on @UOSChemSoc
More details can be found at: sheffield.ac.uk/chemistry/events
Joe Veryard Resonance could not exist without their dedication and hard work.
The University of Sheffield || Resonance Issue 13
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Recognising Those Overlooked Mae Carol Jemison
George Washington Carver
Mae Carol Jemisond
Gladys West
Marie Maynard Daly
Ida Noddack
Katherine Johnson
Arfa Karim
Annie Easley Edward Bouchet
Lynn Margulis
Walter Lincoln Hawkins
Percy Julian Ayanna Howard
Alexa Canady
Sameera Moussa
Females and those representing the BAME community in science are often overlooked, but their achievements are no less impressive! Take a minute to look into one of these amazing and inspirational people. 1. https://to.pbs.org/2TQ3dEG
2. https://bit.ly/3eroIW3
